By Sam Wroblewski, Kim Kalunian WPRO News
The ACLU of Rhode Island released a new study showing black, Hispanic, and Native American students are disproportionately suspended from school compared to white students.
The new report titled, “Blacklisted: 2013-2014” found the suspension of white students is at a ten-year low, compared to students of color who are experiencing a combined ten-year suspension rate high.
Hillary Davis of the Rhode Island ACLU says the suspension do more than hurt the students academically.
“Parents can’t take time off from work to stay home with their kid who has been suspended, instead that kid is left home alone and unsupervised, and what happens when kids are left unsupervised? They get in trouble,” said Davis.
Statistically, blacks and Hispanics combined account for more than half the number of suspensions in the 2013-2014 school year, despite only making up only 31 percent of the total student body. Breaking down by gender, black boys were three times as likely to be suspended, while black girls were nearly four times more likely.
The disparity materializes at even the earliest grade levels. The report shows despite only making up a third of elementary school population, black and Hispanic students comprised 60 percent of grade school suspensions.
Family physician Dr. Dannie Ritchie says suspension as a punishment at such an early age is a problem.
“When you have a six year old and suspending them […] and you’re saying something is wrong with them when they misbehave; there’s a problem with perception there,” said Ritchie.
The study found the majority of suspensions were related to the behavioral offenses “disorderly conduct” and “insubordination/disrespect,” with black students receiving 2.27 times more suspensions as would be expected based on their student population ratio.
The ACLU says suspensions are disproportionately used against all students, just more so with minorities.
The General Assembly is considering a bill to cut down on student suspensions by prohibiting the punishment on low risk, behavioral offenses.
