LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Since the “zero tolerance” discipline policy was introduced in districts a decade ago, administrators have increasingly suspended minority students — mostly for non-violent offenses, according to a report released by the National Education Policy Center.
Researchers from the center expressed concern that the overuse of suspensions could lead to dropouts and incarcerations, the Los Angeles Times reports. Suspensions have been increasingly handed out for offenses such as dress code violations and improper cell phone use.
Suspensions are mostly being handed out to black students, according to the report. Last school year in the Los Angeles Unified School District, nearly 34% of students suspended from middle schools were African American.
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