| Zero Tolerance for Ineffective Zero Tolerance Policies | Can Zero Tolerance be Tolerated? | | Terrance Baker | LAWS310 | 12/14/2009 |

Students are being handcuffed, arrested and expelled for possession of a butter knife or water gun, punishment that disproportionately targets African-American students, students being alienated and never returning to school after being suspended or expelled are all byproducts of the zero tolerance policies adopted by their school district. School administrators have abandoned common sense due to their adherence to zero tolerance policies by applying the same discipline to students that are guilty of minor offenses and non-violent rules violations, or just poor judgment as they due to students that are repeat offenders that pose serious threats to the safety of the school. Under the Zero Tolerance policies African-American students are suspended at an approximate rate of 2.3 times that of Caucasian students nationally even when socio-economic factors are taken into consideration. These one-size fits all policies are also contributing to the elevated dropout rates related to repeated use of suspension and expulsion. The illusion that zero tolerance policies are making our schools safer has blinded school administrators to the fact that these draconian policies are contributing to the education problem in America. |
Abstract

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The Zero Tolerance policies that have been implemented in public school systems has eliminated common sense in determining disciplinary action, are racially biased, and are contributing to the growing population of high school dropouts. Strict adherence to so called Zero Tolerance policies has resulted in students being handcuffed, arrested and expelled from schools across the country for ridiculous offenses such as possession of a butter knife that their mother mistakenly placed in