Police Ticketing Students Civil Rights case: Illustration close-up of policeperson in uniform standing in front of student sitting at desk while handing student a ticket

An Illinois school district’s reliance on police to ticket students is discriminatory, civil rights complaint says

By |

Illinois law bans schools from fining students. But police routinely issue tickets to children for minor misbehavior at school, burdening families with financial penalties. Two national civil rights groups accused Illinois’ third-largest school district of relying on police to handle school discipline, unlawfully targeting Black students with tickets, arrests and other discipline. In a 25-page complaint against Rockford Public Schools, filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the National Center for Youth Law and the MacArthur Justice Center said that Rockford police officers have been “addressing minor behaviors that should be handled as an educational matter by parents, teachers, and school leaders — and not as a law enforcement matter by police officers.” The complaint adds: “Black students bear the brunt of this harm.”

school police debate: school security guard looks out over cafeteria full of students

A Wisconsin district debates the effects of terminating school police

By |

Madison is one of about 49 public school districts nationwide that, according to Education Week, have trimmed or eliminated school policing programs since 2020. While some districts that removed police officers have reported largely positive results, in Madison, some students, parents and educators are considering what they believe they’ve lost.