Students ticketed for misbehaving in Illinois schools, complaint alleges bias

[LAUREN TURNER]

STUDENTS AT AN ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVE BEEN RECEIVING TICKETS FOR MISBEHAVING TO THE TUNE OF HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS PER CITATION. 

NOW A NEWLY FILED FEDERAL COMPLAINT ACCUSES ROCKFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS OF USING DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES WHEN DISCIPLINING BLACK STUDENTS.

THE COMPLAINT FILED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALLEGES – ROCKFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNNECESSARILY REFERS STUDENTS TO SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS – WHO ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WITH THE ROCKFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT – FOR ROUTINE DISCIPLINARY MATTERS.

THIS INCLUDES ADDRESSING MINOR BEHAVIOR ISSUES THE COMPLAINT SAYS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH BY PARENTS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS RATHER THAN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

ACCORDING TO THE FILING, BLACK STUDENTS ARE 3.2 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE REFERRED TO S-R-OS THAN THEIR WHITE PEERS – LEADING TO POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, FEELINGS OF DECREASED CONNECTION AND SUPPORT WITH TEACHERS AND PEERS, AND HIGHER RATES OF DROP OUT. BLACK STUDENTS ALSO REPORTING FEELING LESS SAFE AT SCHOOL WHEN POLICE ARE PRESENT.

UNLIKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, S-R-OS ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ISSUE TICKETS. AND SOME OF THE CITATIONS HAVE RESULTED IN FINES FOR STUDENTS EXCEEDING $750. 

AND IF AN OFFICER DOES TICKET A STUDENT – THE STUDENT IS FORCED TO MISS SCHOOL AND ATTEND A HEARING IN WHICH THEY DO NOT RECEIVE APPOINTED COUNSEL. 

THE COMPLAINT SAYS THIS “HAS LED TO THE CRIMINALIZATION OF YOUTHFUL BEHAVIOR” AND EXPOSED FAMILIES TO DEBT – AND BLACK STUDENTS “BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS HARM” AND ACCUSES  S-R-OS OF VIOLATING TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT BY UNLAWFULLY TARGETING BLACK STUDENTS.

THE FILING ALSO SAID OVER THE LAST 6 SCHOOL YEARS, MORE THAN 75 PERCENT OF TICKETS ISSUED BY ROCKFORD S-R-OS WERE TO BLACK STUDENTS AND 2.7% OF TICKETS WERE GIVEN TO WHITE STUDENTS.

AND EVEN THOUGH ILLINOIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FINE STUDENTS FOR BEHAVIORAL ISSUES – IN 2022, PROPUBLICA INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT FROM 2019-2021, ILLINOIS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE GIVEN NEARLY 12-THOUSAND (11,800) TICKETS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TURNER.

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