The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report showing Black girls had the highest rates of exclusionary discipline in schools and were the most disproportionately disciplined group among girls, according to an analysis of civil rights data.
Although they made up only 15% of girls in public schools, Black girls accounted for nearly half of exclusionary discipline cases, including 45% of out-of-school suspensions, 37% of in-school suspensions, and 43% of expulsions. The intersection of race and disability status revealed even larger disparities, particularly for Black girls. National data showed that girls with disabilities were generally disciplined at higher rates than those without disabilities, with Black girls with disabilities facing out-of-school suspensions at 1.7 times the rate of Black girls without disabilities and 3.6 times the rate of White girls with disabilities.
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