By Kevin Palmer
The Georgia public school system has over 1.8 million students with 38 percent White and over 60 percent nonwhite. Nevertheless, the white minority seems to have privilege when consequences were meted out for drug and alcohol discipline incidents.
In 2018, according to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, K-12 Discipline Dashboard, the data shows white students committed more drug and alcohol incidents than non-white students. Drug and alcohol incidents for white students were 53 percent compared to only 29 percent for Black students, 13 percent for Hispanic students, 3 percent for Multi-Racial students, and 2 percent for Asian students. Yet, when dispensing consequences, Georgia public school administrators were harsher to-ward nonwhite students. Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) are harsher than In-School Suspensions (ISS).
In 2018, 45 percent of white students received ISS and only 34 percent received OSS, while 14 percent of Black students received ISS and 60 percent received OSS; 22 percent of Hispanics received ISS and 50 percent received OSS; 24 percent of Asians received ISS and 46 percent received OSS, and 28 percent of Multi-Racial students received ISS and 42 percent received OSS.
Clearly, consequences were less harsh for White students.
