Civil Rights Suspended
Resource type: Research Report
Advocates for Children of New York |
Under the U.S Constitution, as well as federal and New York state laws, students and their parents have the right to due process prior to suspension or expulsion from school. Yet a significant number of New York City charter schools have adopted discipline policies that fail to meet legal requirements.
After reviewing 164 NYC charter school discipline policies obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, a new report urges state legislators to ensure students are receiving protections guaranteed by law. The report also recommends charter school authorisers work with community stakeholders to develop a model policy incorporating innovative and positive approaches to discipline.
A companion to the report, the Guide to Charter School Discipline, helps families of students attending charter schools understand their rights when faced with a suspension or expulsion.
Learn More
> Read the report (PDF)
> Read the Guide to Charter School Discipline (PDF)
Media Coverage
> Report Faults Charter School Rules on Discipline of Students, The New York Times, 11 February 2015
> Report: Discipline at Many Charter Schools Violates Students’ Rights, WNYC, 12 February 2015
Advocates for Children of New York is an Atlantic grantee (via the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund) of Atlantic’s Children & Youth programme in the United States, which funds efforts to reform school discipline policies.