Wednesday Forum in Farmington Hills Focuses on Student Rights

A report about student expulsion/suspension data that Superintendent Sue Zurvalec called "disturbing" has inspired district parents to host a forum on students' rights and responsibilities.

"On Track – Out of Trouble – In School", scheduled at on Wednesday at 7 p.m., was organized after a Farmington PTA Council representative commented on the internal report at a spring school board meeting. Delivered May 24, the report was produced because the for suspending and expelling African American students at a rate far higher than other students during the 2008-2009 school year.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), those students have a greater chance of ending up in prison. Keeping kids in school, and drawing parents into the discussion around suspension and expulsion policies, is what's driving the Wednesday forum.

Former PTA Council president Chris Greig said that when officials discussed the issue, "I really didn't hear anything at first about parents, other than telling parents what to do, not using them as partners to come up with some of these things."

After she spoke, she was contacted by Oakland County ACLU board member Gillian Talwar, who shared information about the School to Prison Pipeline (STPP) project. The ACLU, which advocates for individual rights, connects a trend toward criminalizing behavior in schools, through "zero tolerance" policies, with research that shows students suspended from school for long periods of time are more likely to land in prison.

The ACLU is a co-sponsor of the Wednesday night event, which is open to all parents and students in Oakland County. Other co-sponsors are the PTA Council, Southern Oakland County NAACP and Farmington African-American Parent Network. Farmington Schools also supports the event, Greig said.

Talwar said the ACLU has found that local statistics mirror what's happening around the country: Minority students are "disproportionately affected" by zero tolerance policies.

Expel first, sort it out later

Greig said "given all the stresses and the cutting that's going on in public schools, it seems like schools are taking shortcuts to their disciplinary actions", expelling first and trying to sort it out later.

She related the story of a parent whose daughter was led from her school in handcuffs about 1 1/2 years ago, after the high school junior and her friend were goofing around with a pair of scissors, and the friend's hand was cut. When the incident was reported, the police were called, because a scissors can be considered a dangerous weapon.

Michigan state law requires expulsion for possession of a dangerous weapon, defined as "firearm, dagger, dirk, stiletto, knife with a blade over three inches in length, pocket-knife opened by a mechanical device, iron bar or brass knuckles."

The student was immediately expelled from the district, and her family spent $9,000 in legal fees defending her against criminal charges that were eventually dismissed in court, Greig said. 

Greig has had her own experience with the district's zero tolerance policy; her son, Andy, then a straight-A junior, was suspended after touching a teacher as she tried to take away a game he was playing during an after-school club meeting. The teacher told Greig that Andy would probably get a detention, and he was kicked out of the club. But once the incident was reported, a police report was filed, and he was automatically suspended.

"It all got resolved, but a lot of it was because I combed through the student code of conduct, and I saw where the proper procedures were not followed and how they jumped to conclusions without investigating," she said.

While in both instances the students went on to finish high school, Talwar said "expulsion and suspension increases the chance that a student will drop out and end up in prison ... More and more, these cases are being prosecuted, and once you get into the court system, it's hard to get out."

The ACLU advocates for alternatives like Positive Behavior Support, which is being used in Farmington Schools to reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions, as well as Restorative Justice, which aims to get kids back into the classroom after an incident has occurred. Information about what the district's doing will be part of the forum, along with informing parents and students about their rights under Michigan's state zero tolerance law.

Local STPP field director Rodd Monts said the ACLU also hopes to rally some support for STPP, promoting positive alternatives and getting school districts to take a serious look at their policies. The organization is "also working at the state level on reform to narrow zero tolerance to dangerous weapons, which is where it began in the 90s," Monts said.

For more information about the Wednesday forum, to be held in the Harrison High auditorium, write to education@aclumichigan.org or visit aclumichigan.org