SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Some parents are raising concerns about a San Diego Unified policy that encourages restorative discipline instead of suspensions and expulsions.
“The bullies are getting away with it because they know they’re not being disciplined for it,” said Elizabeth Rith, a San Diego mother.
Rith said last November another child beat up her son leaving him with a concussion after he was hit in the face.
“My son was unrecognizable,” she said describing his injuries.
She said her son’s school told her it was a case of friendly fighting and both her son and his classmate were forced to take lunch detention together.
She said Child Protective Services encouraged her to file charges against the other student. She isn’t happy with how the school handled the matter.
In 2020, the district started a restorative discipline policy with the goal of replacing in-school suspensions with alternative forms of discipline.
The approach is meant to keep kids in class and reduce the number of suspensions and expulsions.
The move came after data showed Black and Latino students were being suspended at much higher rates than their white peers in the district.
“The research shows that Black students, Native American students and some foster youth in particular are far more likely to be suspended and expelled in comparison to their peers,” said Dr. Luke Wood, an education professor at San Diego State University.
Wood has done extensive research on school discipline and said the biggest suspension disparity exists in kids in Kindergarten – third grade where Black students are 500 times more likely to be suspended than their white peers.
“What we have seen is that restorative practices is a far more effective tool for addressing issues that occur that often times can be solved through a conversation and through other mechanisms.”
Rith said her son is from a marginalized background himself and wanted to see a tougher punishment given.
“To me it’s not about the race. It’s about good kid versus bad kid. Their focuses are more on the bad kid,” she said.
Rith and other concerned parents were set to speak during public comment at the district’s board meeting Tuesday night.
