Over-criminalization and over-policing of US schools has gotten out of hand. In Texas alone, in just one year (2010), police wrote 300,000 tickets to school kids. Zero-tolerance policies are understandable as a response to school massacres, gangs, and a culture of guns and violence. 30,000 gun deaths/year, 300 million private guns in the USA. Educators are caught in a no-win situation (h/t CMG :-) ). But over-reacting does not solve the problem, and makes things worse. As The Guardian wrote in 2012:
the police gave close to 300,000 "Class C misdemeanour" tickets to children as young as six in Texas for offences in and out of school, which result in fines, community service and even prison time. What was once handled with a telling-off by the teacher or a call to parents can now result in arrest and a record that may cost a young person a place in college or a job years later.
I have not seen data on more serious charges (Class A or B misdemeanours, Felonies), nor data broken down by ethnicity, religion, income. No state-level data is available on the number of school-kids handcuffed or manhandled by police. National data is not available on the number of American students handcuffed or arrested in school, nor the number charged, or convicted.
However, it is pretty clear that the problem affects everyone, especially those in low-income school districts. African-American, Hispanic and Native-American students are sent to court in disproportionate numbers. Anecdotal stories abound, e.g.: Jordan Wiser (handcuffed, jailed 13 days), Alex Stone (handcuffed), Cody Chitwood (felony charge for fishing knife in tacklebox), Nickolas Taylor, Josh Welch, Ethan Chaplin, Asher Palmer, Rhett Parham, Nathan Entingh, Elijah Thurston, Aiden Steward (terrorism charge, for LotR magic ring), Kody Smith, Adrionna Harris, Alexa Gonzalez (handcuffed), Tito Velez, Jamie Pereira, Rebecca's daughter Elizabeth, Ben & Paula Mosteller's son, Rodney Lynch, attorney Robin Ficker's other clients, Robert Keller's son BRK, Kevin Sumner (cop who handcuffed unnamed 8-yo & 9-yo), etc. Google each of these names, along with "school" OR "suspended." More broadly, search for "zero tolerance policies" or "school-to-prison pipeline."
This is the context in which 14-yo Ahmed Mohamed was wrongly arrested. It's one area where liberals, conservatives, and others, Democrats, Republicans and others, should all agree and be working together.
Most websites reporting these cases are amateur and ad hoc, many are right-wing (caveat lector, but that's the point: we should be working together to solve these problems, not trying to make cheap partisan points), some libertarian, a few liberal in orientation. E.g.:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/... "Social consequences of zero tolerance"
http://www.thisistrue.com/... (weird)
http://www.akdart.com/... (right-wing, gun rights)
https://web.archive.org/...
http://www.nasponline.org/... National Association of School Psychologists (NAPA, nonpartisan; 2001 document! Not a new issue.)
P.S. The National Association of School Psychologists (NAPA) concludes:
Although zero tolerance policies were developed to assure consistent and firm consequences for dangerous behaviors, broad application of these policies has resulted in a range of negative outcomes with few if any benefits to students or the school community. Rather than increasing school safety, zero tolerance often leads to indiscriminate suspensions and expulsions for both serious and mild infractions and disproportionately impacts students from minority status backgrounds and those with disabilities. Serious dangerous behaviors require consistent and firm consequences to protect the safety of students and staff; however, for many offenses addressed by zero tolerance policies, more effective alternative strategies are available. Systemic school-wide violence prevention programs, social skills curricula and positive behavioral supports lead to improved learning for all students and safer school communities.