The Law Center and a pro bono attorney recently helped a biracial fourth grader with a learning disability avoid a transfer to a disciplinary school. The child, E.W., was accused of bringing a weapon to school. The weapon turned out to be a pocketknife of less than 2.5 inches.

Once lawyers for the District were alerted to this issue, the District agreed that the child did not need to be transferred to disciplinary school.

The ACLU’s recent report “Beyond Zero Tolerance” released in November of this year explains that this is hardly an uncommon trend.  Certain minority students and students with disabilities often have the highest rates of punishment by removal from school.

To read the full report click here.