Office for Civil Rights Reaches Voluntary Resolution of Kentucky School District’s Discipline Disparities

The Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education, had been investigating Christian County Public Schools' discipline system.  It found basic due process flaws on the front end and significant racial disparities on the back end.  "[B]lack students were consistently more likely than white students to be assigned in-school suspension and out-of-school suspension when their first disciplinary referral was for violations that were subjective in nature, such as Deliberate Classroom Disruption, Disorderly Conduct, Failure to Follow Directives, and Profanity/Vulgarity. For example, in school year 2010-2011, black students were nearly 3.5 times more likely than white students to receive out-of-school suspension for Profanity/Vulgarity."

Under the final resolution agreement reached last week, the District agreed to: 

• Ensure to the maximum extent possible that misbehavior is addressed in a manner that does not require removal from school;
• Collaborate with experts on research-based strategies designed to prevent discrimination in the implementation of school discipline;
• Provide students who engage in disruptive behaviors with support services designed to decrease behavioral difficulties;
• Review and revise the disciplinary policies, and implement disciplinary practices that will effectively promote the fair and equitable administration of discipline;
• Provide training for staff and administrators on the disciplinary policies, and implement programs for students and parents and guardians that will explain the district’s disciplinary policies and behavioral expectations;
• Effectively address school climate issues;
• Improve the disciplinary data collection system in order to evaluate discipline policies and practices.

The full press release and resolution agreement is here.  I believe this is the first discipline resolution reached since the Department's new discipline guidelines.  Those guidelines seem to be reflected in this resolution, particularly the agreement to use less harsh and discriminatory alternatives to the current discipline policy.