NAACP files complaint over school discipline/suspensions, 'disparate treatment'

NAACP had filed a complaint alleging 'disparate treatment'
July 14, 2011|By Joe Burris, The Baltimore Sun

Just days after the Anne Arundel County branch of the NAACP filed a complaint alleging "disparate treatment" of African-American students and teachers, school board members said the superintendent and school system should be recognized for their continuing efforts to address the matter.

On Tuesday, Superintendent Kevin Maxwell, school system staff, community leaders and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held what the sides called a productive meeting to discuss the complaint. The complaint, filed with the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education on July 8, alleges that the number of African-American students referred for discipline and suspended has scarcely changed since the group filed a similar complaint six years ago.

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The NAACP complaint says that African-Americans accounted for 36.8 percent of students referred for discipline in the 2004-2005 school year and that the figure rose to 38.1 percent by 2008-2009. It says that African-American students accounted for 42.1 percent of suspensions in 2004-2005 and 41.6 percent in 2008-2009.

African-Americans made up 20.7 percent of the student population for the 2010-2011 school year, consistent with the representation since 2004.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-07-14/news/bs-md-ar-naacp-schools-20110714_1_complaint-school-board-president-patricia-nalley