GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

NYCLU to NYPD: They’re kids, not criminals!

Here’s the New York Civil Liberties Union’s (NYCLU) analysis of over 300 arrests that it charges took place illegally in city schools between 2005-07. Minor infractions, such as those listed in the table, should be handled by educators within schools, NYCLU and other advocates argue, but instead, students are treated arrested, stigmatizing them as criminals. NYCLU believes that this is part of a larger pattern of pushing out rather than supporting and educating students with chronic behavior problems.

As reported in the Daily News and Times today, NYCLU sent a letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, urging him to “immediately issue a directive informing all NYPD personnel in public schools of the prohibitions set forth in Section 305.2 of the Family Court Act, and that you take steps to ensure enforcement of this provision.”

NYCLU supports the Student Safety Act, which would require more transparency in reporting school safety incidents and would provide a grievance process for students who believe they were treated inappropriately by school safety agents.

  • Smith

    While I like the idea of “supporting and educating” kids with chronic behavior problems, the idea that they are being pushed out of our schools is ludicrous.

    Someone ought to sue on behalf of the nice, well-behaved kids who are deprived of a decent education because the troublemakers are consistently returned to the classroom.

Tips, questions, feedback?

Contact us at .

Follow GothamSchools

RSS

Feb. 10: You’re invited!

Chalk It Up

Recent Comments

39 comments so far today

Our Twitter Updates

  • An activist just drew gasps from his fellow protesters. ”I hope your kids get their asses kicked by all the kids here” he tells the panel. 16 mins ago
  • NYPD has closed auditorium doors. Students protesting in lobby are now locked out of the meeting. 33 mins ago
  • ... & a mom says the city transferred her son from KAPPA VII, which is staying open, to ABCD, which could close, after he was bullied. 52 mins ago
  • We're starting to hear some sad stories: From a mom who wanted to speak at #nycpep but missed chance in all of the confusion ... 53 mins ago
  • Parents with children in charter should have stood silently in,the back holding up these signs http://t.co/WmToesjh 1 hr ago
  • More updates...

Archives

February 2012
M T W T F S S
« Jan  
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829  
?>