U.S. acts to keep minority, disabled students out of jail
Source: Reuters
U.S. acts to keep minority, disabled students out of jail
WASHINGTON Wed Jan 8, 2014 12:02am EST
(Reuters) - The Justice and Education departments unveiled guidelines on Wednesday to prevent schools from violating civil rights laws and keep students out of jail after data found minorities and the disabled were more likely than others to face discipline or arrest.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the guidelines were aimed at giving direction to school law enforcement officers, protecting the civil rights of students, and keeping kids in the classroom.
"A routine school disciplinary infraction should land a student in the principal's office, not in a police precinct," Holder said in a statement.
The guidelines came after the Justice Department sued Mississippi state and local officials in 2012 over what it called a "school-to-prison pipeline" that violated the rights of children, especially black and disabled youths.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/08/us-usa-education-discipline-idUSBREA0705S20140108