The question of whether police belong in schools has been a long-debated topic in the United States. With the increased focus on policing generally, the debate has grown more intense. Proponents argue that police can more effectively address student-to-student conflict, such as bullying, and increase overall safety in an age of recurring school shootings. Those who oppose argue that police in schools contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline and result in disparities based on race and/or disability in discipline and arrests, as well as a climate of fear for students of color. Speakers on this program present the data, discuss the impact of police in schools and examine this issue critically to confront the question of whether police in schools result in enhanced student safety.
June 21, 2021 RAPID RESPONSE
Police in Schools: Racial Justice and True Student Safety?
Panelists
- Ky’Eisha W. Penn, Staff Attorney, Advancement Project
- Miriam A. Rollin, Attorney and Director, Education Civil Rights Alliance, National Center for Youth Law
- Maryam Salmanova, Paralegal, IntegrateNYC Peer Defense Program
- Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
Moderator
- Ashley C. Sawyer, Senior Director of Campaigns, Girls for Gender Equity
Joint Sponsors: ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice, ABA Litigation Section Children’s Rights Litigation Committee
Resources
Transcript: Police in Schools: Racial Justice and True Student Safety?
Presentations: Ky'Eisha W. Penn, Miriam Rollin
Partnership Paper: Police in Schools
ABA Litigation Section White Paper: Police in Schools: Developments, Issues, and Best Practices
Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act Support Letter
When Girls of Color Are Assaulted by School Police in the US
Policy Brief: School Policing Disparities for Black Girls
What Do We Mean When We Say Police-Free Schools? 1 Pager
Fund Care & Communities: Defund and Delegitimize Youth Criminalization
Police-Free Schools New York City Website
OPED: Policing is A Public Health Crisis
Video Footage from the largest PFS protest in NYC history
Advancement Project - Police in Schools Report & Action Kit
Federal Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Bills in the Senate and House
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