Students, Security, and Race

ABSTRACTIn the wake of the terrible shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, our nation has turned its attention to school security. For example, several states have passed or are considering passing legislation that will provide new funding to schools for security equipment and law enforcement officers. Strict security measures in schools are certainly not new. In response to prior acts of school violence, many public schools for years have relied on metal detectors, random sweeps, locked gates, surveillance cameras, and law enforcement officers to promote school safety. Before policymakers and school officials invest more money in strict security measures, this Article provides additional factors that should be considered. First, drawing on recent, restricted data from the U.S. Department of Education, this Article presents an original empirical analysis revealing that low-income students and minority students are much more likely to experience intense security conditions in their schools than other students, even when taking into account neighborhood crime, school crime, and school disorder. These findings raise concerns that such inequalities may continue or worsen as policymakers provide additional funding for security measures. Second, this Article argues that strict security measures do not support longterm solutions needed to effectively prevent school violence. Indeed, strict security measures may exacerbate the underlying problems by creating barriers of adversity and mistrust between students and educators.In addition, this Article offers recommendations to address the disproportionate use of security measures on low-income and minority students and to curb violence more effectively. It urges school officials and policymakers to support programs that build trust and collective responsibility instead of providing grants for strict security measures. Further, it recommends that the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights play a more active role in addressing the disproportionate use of strict security measures on minority students.INTRODUCTIONPerhaps never before has our nation been more focused on school security. The horrific massacre of twenty children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, has provoked intense feelings of sadness, anger, and perplexity.1 Naturally, parents, educators, policymakers, and communities are searching for immediate solutions to ensure students' safety.2 In response to this tragedy, many state legislatures and local school boards are considering whether to allocate additional funding to schools for purchasing security equipment and hiring law enforcement officers.3Before policymakers and school officials make these substantial financial commitments, there is much to consider. Just two days prior to the shootings, on December 12, 2012, another event took place that has since been overshadowed by the Newtown tragedy, but is related to the current response. On that day, a U.S. congressional hearing was held to discuss, for the first time, ending the so-called school-to-prison pipeline.4 The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the practice of funneling students directly to the juvenile correction system from schools, or suspending or expelling students from schools, thereby creating conditions where those students are more likely to be arrested.5 This disturbing trend disproportionately affects minority students, especially African-American boys, depriving many of these students of the benefits of an education, future employment, and participation in our democracy.6While violence and school safety are serious issues that must be addressed, the congressional hearing held just two days before the Newtown shootings highlights another serious problem that our nation faces: the disparate treatment of minority students in public schools. To further illustrate, earlier in 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) released data from a national survey of over 72,000 schools around the country serving approximately eighty-five percent of the nation's students. …