Report: Minority Students Turned In To Police In School Disproportionately Often
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An investigation finds a disproportionate number of black and Hispanic high school students are turned over to police for infractions that result in other students being less severely disciplined.
As WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports, the Chicago Tribune reports the infractions that often warrant calls to police for minority students often result in suspension or even less severe discipline for white students.
The Tribune report offers a number of examples, including Palatine High School District 211. Federal numbers indicate more than 800 students were turned over to police over time, with blacks and Hispanics making up a lopsided share.
An administrator for the district is concerned about the trend, the Tribune reports.
At Bremen Community High School, 100 percent of the 65 students turned over to police were black, even though black students make up only about 30 percent of the school's enrollment.
And in one specific incident at Hinsdale South High School, two girls were suspended for five days for smoking marijuana, and a boy suffered no consequences after denying he had done so, the Tribune reported. But a boy in the group – the only black student among them – was arrested and suspended for seven days, and ended up pleading guilty to a drug paraphernalia charge, the newspaper reported.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports
