WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation to end the pushout of students, especially girls of color, from schools. The Ending PUSHOUT Act invests in safe and nurturing school environments for all students to put an end to the harmful way students are overcriminalized and policed at school. U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) reintroduced companion legislation in the House.

“Research shows that students of color, particularly girls, are often subjected to harsher and more frequent disciplinary action,” said Senator Booker. “The Ending PUSHOUT Act is critical legislation that would invest federal dollars into implementing evidence-based alternatives to suspension and expulsion while also creating a safer academic environment for all students to thrive.”

“Classrooms should be a place for students to learn, grow, and thrive – not be overpoliced and criminalized. With Republicans gutting public education and attacking vulnerable students, our bill would help stop the pushout of Black and brown girls from schools, and invest in safe, nurturing learning environments for all students,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m grateful to Senator Booker for his ongoing partnership and for the coalition of individuals and organizations from across the country who joined us in support of the Ending PUSHOUT Act. We must affirm the right for every student to learn in a setting free from fear.”

  

The Ending PUSHOUT Act would aim to create a safe academic environment for all students, especially girls of color, by:

  1. Establishing new federal grants to support local educational agencies and nonprofit organizations to:
    1. Evaluate the current discipline policies of schools under the eligible entity in partnership with students, family members of students, and the local community; 
    2. Provide training and professional development for school officials to avoid or address the overuse of discriminatory and exclusionary discipline practices;
    3. Implement and evaluate evidence-based alternatives to suspension or expulsion.
  2. Grantees would be required to ban:
    1. Out-of-school suspension or expulsion for students in preschool through grade 5 for non-violent offenses and all students in preschool through grade 12 for infractions such as insubordination, willful defiance, vulgarity, truancy, tardiness, chronic absenteeism, or violations of grooming or appearance policies; and
    2. The use of corporal punishment, seclusion, mechanical or chemical restraints, and any form of physical restraint or escort.
  3. Protecting the Civil Rights Data Collection and strengthening the Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by:
    1. Requiring the Department of Education to collect civil rights data annually to ensure all students have equal access to a high-quality education and a safe and nurturing school environment.
    2. Requiring additional reporting on the school pushout crisis to spot harmful trends in real time and help hold schools accountable for discriminating against students.
    3. Making data about pushouts and other harmful discipline practices publicly available while protecting student privacy.
    4. Investing $500 million annually for OCR to build additional capacity for monitoring and enforcing civil rights laws.
  4. Establishing a federal interagency taskforce to end school pushout and examine its disproportionate impact on girls of color

To read the full text of the bill, click here.