Zero Tolerance, School Shootings, and the PostBrown Quest for Equity in Discipline Policy: An Examination of How Urban Minorities Are Punished for White Suburban Violence

• Published in: The Journal of Negro education Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 352 - 427
• Main Authors: Triplett, Nicholas P, Allen, Ayana, Lewis, Chance W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Howard University, School of Divinity 01.07.2014
• Subjects: Demographics; Discipline Policy; Disproportionate Representation; Education; Education policy; Equal Education; Equality; Equity; Firearms; Minorities; Minority Groups; Minority students; Politics; Public opinion surveys; School boards; School discipline; School violence; Schools; Shootings; Sociodemographic Factors; Students; Tolerance; Urban Areas; Urban Education; Urban schools; Violence; White people; Whites; Zero Tolerance Policy; North Carolina; New York; Mississippi; United States > US
• ISSN: 0022-2984; 2167-6437

This article situates zero tolerance policies within the landscape of urban education post Brown v. Board of Education. School discipline has emerged as a critical arena in the quest for racial equity in education as a growing body of literature demonstrates that urban students of color are disproportionately subjected to punitive discipline as a result of zero tolerance policies. This study examines the demographic characteristics of school shootings from 1990-2011. Analysis reveals that through the mechanism of zero tolerance, a nation of urban minority students have been and continue to be punished for the actions of predominantly White, suburban/rural gunmen. The authors present alternative policies and practices, make recommendations for stakeholders, and explore the larger implications of zero tolerance mandates. Adapted from the source document.