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Case of the Month August/September 2001
Zero Tolerance Policies in the Wake of Columbine
In order to help bring a better understanding of the Bill of Rights in action, the ACLU of Florida website posts a Case of the Month. Each month, we highlight either a current case before the courts or current issues that affect civil liberties. In discussing the case, we hope to offer extensive learning materials, including balanced information on key legal issues, lesson plans, teacher handouts and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).
This month, we have selected a current issue that has severely impacted students in schools across the country ? Zero Tolerance Policies. In response to the tragic and highly-publicized incidents of school violence that have made headlines prior to and following the shooting at Columbine High School more than two years ago, school administrators across the country are scrambling to find ways to deter violence. Among those preventative strategies are Zero Tolerance Policies ? extreme disciplinary rules adopted by educators to weed out "troublemakers" and ensure that schools remain safe and out of the media spotlight. Because of the public perception of increased school violence, school administrators believe that an effective deterrent to student disciplinary problems, including acts of violence, is the strict imposition of suspension and expulsion.
Zero Tolerance Policies frequently impose a uniform punishment for a wide-variety of behaviors without an evaluation of individual circumstances. While most of these policies are intended to target students carrying drugs and guns to schools, they are frequently applied to a broad-range of conduct. Even minor incidents involving conduct that is typical of adolescents result in suspension and, in many cases, expulsion. While the Zero Tolerance approach may seem like the best available solution, the punishment often times does not fit the so-called "crime."
The Case of the Month is designed to be a resource tool for teachers and students, as well as an opportunity for the general public to keep informed important civil liberties issues.
The following information serves to debunk current myths related to Zero Tolerance polices and educate students about their rights. We also hope to encourage schools to shift from disciplinary practices that include suspension and expulsion without the ability of administrators to evaluate individual circumstances of the case. Instead, schools should be encouraged to strengthen school-wide conflict resolution programs, increase parental involvement, and further develop after-school intervention programs.
- Overview
- Legal Issues
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Lesson Plans
- Ask Sybil Liberty
- School House Hype: Two Years Later ? Justice Policy Institute
Special thanks to Intake Coordinator Sophie Brion for preparing the Case of the Month.
