“Restorative Justice in the Country”
AUSTIN — In Minnesota, Philandro Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile donated $8,000 from the Philandro Castile Relief Foundation. Before Castile was killed, he worked as a cafeteria supervisor and paid for students who were in school debt. Castile donated the money to ensure students would be able to graduate without any worries.
When a student accumulates debt in public school from not being able to afford lunch or a book fee, some schools may keep adding an additional fee until its paid or even prevent the student from graduating. Without students being able to graduate, some may drop-out while others may retain a grade. Both actions will be contributing factors of the school-to-prison pipeline.
The school-to-prison pipeline is where certain “zero-tolerance” policies are tools created to punish and criminalize youth beyond the school administrators where law enforcement will become involved. There are factors to the school-to-prison pipeline that may seem less aggressive, such as preventing a student from graduating over fees that are not financially able to afford.
Black students are disciplined at disappropriate rates nationwide. According to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights Data Collection of 2015–2016, black students represented 15% of enrollment while facing 31% of referrals to law enforcement or school-related arrests, compared to their white counterparts who represent 49% of enrollment while facing 36% of referrals to law enforcement or school-related arrests.
Black students are not the only minority students who are disciplined at disappropriate rates. Latino students made up 26% of enrollment during 2015–2016 and faced 24% of referrals to law enforcement or school-related arrests.
Although these are the statistics for the United States, Texas, in general, has data which is fairly similar.
The Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) 2018–2018 Enrollment Data for Public Schools reported there were 12.6% of African Americans, 52.4% of Latinos, and 27.9% of white students enrolled in Texas public schools. TEA’s State Level Annual Discipline Summary data for 2017–2018 revealed black and Latino students had more expulsions and suspensions than their white counterparts.
Austin Independent School District’s data reveals the same conclusion of black and Latino students having more expulsions and suspensions than their white counterparts as well.
Excellence and Advancement Foundation founder, Courtney Robinson, said some of the disciplinary actions are created from biases.
“Generally because they [minorities] are not seen the same way white students are seen,” said Robinson. “They are seen as more aggressive.”
Robinson founded the Excellence and Advancement Foundation in Austin to build a relationship between administrators, teachers, and students to combat the school-to-prison pipeline.
“We’re helping kids who are at risk of being involved and kids who have found themselves in some sort of school trouble and we do everything in our power to ensure they don’t end up in our criminal justice system,” said Robinson.
Some of the duties the foundation participates in to ensure students are not being aligned with the school-to-prison pipeline includes having seminars with administrators and teachers to address cultural differences to help eliminate biases and increase understanding.
After facing disciplinary actions in school such as expulsion and suspensions, those students are put on a track of discipline which can lead to the school-to-prison pipeline. Yet there are times discipline is the first choice instead of counseling.
“When we conceptualize somebody’s behavior, we automatically place them on the track of discipline or treatment,” said Ryan Sutton, PhD., University of Texas psychologist, director of African American Male Research Initiative (AAMRI) and Greater Austin Area My Brother’s Keeper Initiative.
“When you start talking about justice reform, you can’t do it without talking about mental health,” said Sutton.
Sutton says often times there are symptoms and behaviors of mental health that are manifested in an individual, but the way people conceptualize behavior is often based on the body in which that behavior comes from.
“You can have things like depression… where I feel unmotivated, I’m easily irritable, where I am often fatigue and if coming from a black body then it gets hit with “oh that’s a lazy, angry student” to where if it comes from maybe another body, a white body, it’s like “oh they’re struggling with something,” said Sutton.
Although these disciplinary actions happen in a student’s youth, the record will continue to follow them in their adult life.
“I had to pay as an adult what I did as a child,” said Cedric Loera, 45-year-old Austin native.
Loera attended school in Austin ISD. Throughout his youth, he received corporal punishment and suspensions. He was even incarcerated as a child and labeled “ED” emotionally disturbed.
“Law enforcement was always apart of my life,” said Loera. “I was comfortable with the legal system and felt like it was my role to be a criminal.”
Loera said he knew his race affected his punishment too.
“I look Hispanic and I look scary. I was stereotyped,” said Loera. “First time someone was fighting, I would get questioned.”
Lorea thinks schools should try to find out the problem that students are dealing with rather than punishing them. Lorea said even though these actions took place when he was a child, as a 45-year-old, he is constantly monitoring his child and the school’s policies.
