Webinar: Civil Rights Enforcement Actions to Dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline

The school-to-prison pipeline -- disciplinary practices in elementary and secondary public schools that push students out of public education systems and into juvenile and criminal justice systems -- disproportionately harms children of color and children with disabilities.  Federal civil rights investigations across the country are finding that schools too often are suspending and expelling these students and entangling them in the juvenile justice and adult correctional systems. For some, such suspensions and expulsions are for offenses not involving serious misbehavior and for which student suspension is often discretionary rather than mandatory, including mundane reasons such as dress code violations.

During this webinar, attendees learned how the Civil Rights Division and Office of Justice Programs of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education have effectively used enforcement tools to eliminate practices that have led to the creation and perpetuation of the school-to-prison pipeline. This discussion included a review of how the Department of Education’s extensive database is used as a tool in its enforcement and monitoring efforts regarding equal educational opportunity and also can be used by the public to analyze student equity and opportunity.  In addition, the presentation covered how to file complaints with the respective agencies and the impact that complaints to such agencies can have on disrupting practices that fuel the school to prison pipeline.

Speakers:

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Christine Stoneman, Acting Chief, Federal Coordination and Compliance Section
Iris Goldschmidt, Attorney, Federal Coordination and Compliance Section
Shaheena Simons, Acting Chief, Educational Opportunities Section
Marina Mazor, Senior Trial Attorney, Special Litigation Section

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
Rachel Glickman, Attorney, Office for Civil Rights, Office of Justice Programs

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights
Jessie Brown, Senior Counsel, Office for Civil Rights

Documents from the webinar can be accessed at the links below. A recording of the presentation will be available soon.

Attachment
Webinar Presentation: Civil Rights Enforcement Actions to Dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline
LAIR Case Study: Keep Children in Schools