FILE - The U.S. Justice Department sign is seen, Nov. 18, 2022, in Washington. Educators in Kansas’ largest public school district discriminated against Black and disabled students when they used certain kinds of discipline, according to the U.S. Justice Department, which announced an agreement Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in which the district has agreed to revise its policies. TOPEKA, Kan.
The agreement comes amid an ongoing national debate about classroom discipline and whether punishments for minority and disabled students are disproportionately harsh. The Justice Department has previously reached similar agreements with other school districts in the U.S. “We substantiated allegations that the District discriminated against Black students in its administration of school discipline and referral of student conduct to law enforcement,” the department said in its letter. “We also found evidence that the District denied students with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from its education program.”