The Wichita Eagle reported that the investigation found that black students in the district were disciplined more frequently and more severely than white students who engaged in similar behavior and had similar backgrounds and disciplinary histories.
“This pattern was most pronounced when it came to subjective offenses such as insubordination, and was particularly evident when it came to disciplining Black girls, whose behavior was repeatedly characterized with stereotypical terms like ‘posturing’ and ‘drama,'” the Justice Department said.
The investigation also concluded that the Wichita school district “inappropriately segregated and restrained students with disabilities and relegated students with the most severe behavioral issues to inferior facilities with inadequate services and supports.”
When the department visited a Wichita special school for students with behavioral disorders, inspectors found “poor facilities lacking the furniture, instructional equipment and décor typical of a school, and staff unable to meet the needs of the students,” the report said.
Wichita School Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said the district is committed to meeting the requirements of the settlement agreement, including ending segregation, creating a new code of conduct for students and establishing a district-level system to monitor disciplinary tactics and ensure fairness.
“I don’t know what prompted the original investigation,” Bielefeld said, “but I can say with certainty that we can and must create a more equitable school district, and going forward we will do so by changing some of our practices and procedures.”
The Justice Department identified discriminatory treatment of black students at several schools, and said black girls in particular “faced disproportionately higher rates of exclusion in some middle schools for alleged insubordination and dress code violations.”
The investigation also found evidence of racial discrimination in police referrals and a pattern of security officers responding to routine discipline issues and escalating those incidents, “resulting in black students being unnecessarily referred to police for routine or minor misconduct.”
With regard to student restraint and seclusion, the Department of Justice found that of the 3,000 students who were restrained and segregated during the three-year period studied, more than 98 percent had a disability.