ACLU report: Black students punished more severely than white students in Missouri

(From American Civil Liberties Union Missouri)

Justice begins at the schoolhouse doors.

Today, we released our report, Missouri's Pipeline of Injustice: From School to Prison.

In nearly every category of school discipline, we found that Black students and students with disabilities are punished more severely and more frequently than their peers.

Some of the facts:

Black students are 4.5 times more likely to be suspended than White students.
Black students with disabilities were more than three times more likely to be suspended than White students with disabilities.
Black boys are almost four times more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension than White boys. Black girls are six times more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension than White girls.

The consequences of excessive discipline extend far beyond the classroom. We should all be outraged at these findings. This is a wake-up call to every Missourian: we must act now for the future of our children. Read the full report on our website.

This report is just the beginning of our efforts to address Missouri's school discipline problem. Read our recommendations for students, parents, educators, policymakers, legislators and law enforcement. You can also download our sample toolkit on how to understand discipline policies at your child's school and become a more powerful advocate in breaking the school-to-prison pipeline.

Get involved with our efforts to stop Missouri’s school-to-prison pipeline by helping us understand what’s happening in your school district. We want to hear from you!