The MacArthur Justice Center and the National Center for Youth Law have filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights claiming Title VI violations based on Rockford Public Schools’ (“RPS”) discriminatory referrals of Black students to police. Like many school districts in Illinois and across the country, RPS, a school district located in Winnebago County, Illinois, stations law enforcement officers in its schools. All too often, these officers are used for handling routine school disciplinary matters, especially when Black youth are involved.
RPS’s police referral practice has led to the criminalization of youthful behavior in the district, exposed youth and their families to debt, and created a direct pathway from schools into a municipal adjudication system designed for adults.
Once students are referred by RPS staff to officers, officers frequently issue referred students municipal tickets, which can result in unaffordable fines and fees over $750. This is despite the existence of an Illinois state law that prohibits the imposition of monetary fines or fees as a school disciplinary consequence. If a student wishes to contest a ticket, they must miss school to attend a municipal administrative adjudication hearing where they have no right to appointed counsel.
RPS’s police referral practice is not only unjust, it is also discriminatory. Data shows that Black students are twice as likely to be referred to police as their white peers, and that Black students with disabilities are three times as likely to be referred. In the 2022-2023 school year, RPS issued 763 student referrals. Black students represented 31.03% of the student population but received 54.7% of referrals to police. In the 2023-2024 school year (until March 24, 2024), RPS issued 590 student referrals. Black students represented 31.62% of the student population, but received 54.7% of referrals to police.
The complaint calls on the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights to require that RPS take steps to ensure that its disciplinary practices, including its use of police, do not discriminate or violate Title VI.