The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the release of a new resource designed to address racial discrimination in student discipline.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division have come together to release the Resource on Confronting Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline in a joint effort to confront racial discrimination in schools, according to a May 26 news release.
"OCR remains committed to ensuring nondiscrimination in disciplinary practices," Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon said in the release. "I look forward to ongoing work in, and with, schools to ensure that no student experiences unlawful discrimination, including with respect to discipline."
This resource highlights the commitment of both departments to enforce laws that protect students from discrimination based on race, color or national origin in the context of student discipline, the release reported.
"Discrimination in school discipline can have devastating long-term consequences on students and their future opportunities," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said in the release. "The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division uses our federal civil rights laws to protect students from discriminatory discipline, including discrimination in suspensions and expulsions, law enforcement referrals and school-based arrests. The investigations that we describe demonstrate how students may experience discrimination based on multiple facets of their identities and reflect our joint commitment to fully protect all students."
The resource covers the resolution of investigations in 14 school districts across 10 states, according to the news release. These investigations, conducted under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its regulations, as well as Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, addressed concerns related to discrimination against Black, Latino and Native American students.
The investigations focused on issues such as out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, school-based arrests, law enforcement referrals, involuntary discipline transfers, informal removals and other forms of discipline, the release reported. Moreover, the resource outlines proactive steps school districts can take to improve their administration of student discipline, providing valuable guidance and recommendations.
