Dive Brief:
- Four students and three teachers are suing California's Compton Unified School District, arguing that the district has violated federal law by failing to address and deal with severe trauma.
- One plaintiff slept on his high school's roof because he was homeless, and when the school found out, it suspended him and turned him into the police for trespassing. It is alleged that he was not offered support.
- The lawsuit, which accuses the district of violating the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, is currently aiming for class action status. It will also serve as a test to determine if complex trauma is a recognized disability under federal law.
Dive Insight:
The teachers who are suing are arguing that they should have been given training to deal with students with severe trauma. Researchers say trauma affects a student's ability to learn.
"The kids are treated as if they’re bad kids, as opposed to kids to whom bad things happen," Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney with pro bono law firm Public Counsel, told Huffington Post.
The cases point to a problematic trend in education and one more link in the ever-strengthening school-to-prison pipeline. Youth at risk of dropping out will be pushed further away from necessary supports. The school district said until it was told of the lawsuit, the issue had not been brought to its attention.
