The Trump administration on Tuesday approved rolling back an Obama-era policy that was intended to limit racial disparities in school discipline but that critics argue left schools afraid to take action against potentially dangerous students.
The recommendation was part of dozens issued in a new report by Trump’s federal school safety commission, which was created in response to a Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 students and staff members, and sparked a national debate over gun control.
The panel was asked to analyze a range of options to strengthen security at America’s schools, from the regulation of guns to the regulation of violent video games. Yet rather than suggest a few sweeping changes, the commission issued 100 smaller suggestions that for the most part avoid strong stances on topics like gun control and whether schools should arm teachers.
“Our conclusions in this report do not impose one-size-fits-all solutions for everyone, everywhere,” said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who led the commission. “The primary responsibility for the physical security of schools and the safety of their students naturally rests with states and local communities.”
Trump lauded the report at a White House event Tuesday, saying “nothing is more important than protecting our nation’s children.”
Regarding the issue of whether schools should arm staff members, the panel said it should be left to states and schools to decide, but DeVos said schools should “seriously consider” the option. The report highlights districts that have armed various staff members, and it directs schools to federal funding that can be used for firearm training.
Among the biggest proposals is a rollback of 2014 guidance urging schools not to suspend, expel or report students to police except in the most dire cases. Instead, the guidance calls for a series of “restorative justice” remedies that don’t remove students from the classroom.
President Barack Obama’s administration issued the guidance after finding that black students were more than three times as likely as their white peers to be suspended or expelled. The directive warns that schools suspected of discrimination — even if it is unintentional — can face investigations and risk losing federal funding.
But the policy came under scrutiny following the Parkland shooting, with some conservatives suggesting it discouraged school officials from reporting the shooter’s past behavioral problems to police. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the most vocal critics, urged DeVos to find a better balance between discipline and school safety.
In its report, the commission says the policy was well-intentioned but “may have paradoxically contributed to making schools less safe.” It calls for a rollback, saying disciplinary decisions should be left to school officials. It said the Justice Department should continue investigating intentional discrimination but not the unintentional cases that are barred under the 2014 policy.
The proposed rollback was praised by some conservative groups but drew sharp criticism from Democrats and advocacy groups.
“Despite overwhelming evidence and basic common sense, Secretary DeVos is trying to make the case that it’s not weapons of war in schools that make students unsafe, but rather the true danger is schools’ attempts to fight racism and inappropriate discipline,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate’s committee overseeing education.
