The Southern Poverty Law Center is investigating the Escambia Public School District over its discipline of its minority students. It has embarked on a DMC (Disproportionate Minority Contact) campaign tracking school discipline and referrals -in and out of school suspension referrals to special-ed/ ESC classes expulsions referrals to alternative schools (public, charter, and vocational) and, referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice i.e. criminal charges for school related offenses or school discipline as a result of criminal charges.
Escambus is one of five counties targeted because of its unusually high numbers of such disciplines and referrals. Other counties include Okaloosa, Bay, Suwannee, Flagler, and St. John County. SPLC attorneys will be meeting with families in Escambia County over the weekend to discuss the impact of zero tolerance policies. They are focusing on children who’ve been impacted by DMC/Zero Tolerance policies and/or non-active staff persons – teachers, administrators, coaches, bus drivers, etc. who would be willing to meet with the SPLC attorney starting Friday, Oct. 7 through Monday, Oct. 10.
Contact the ACLU if you would like to meet with Southern Poverty Law Center – 850-429-9128