California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced filing an amicus brief in Natomas Unified School District v. Sacramento County Board of Education urging the appellate court to overturn an unlawful expulsion of an elementary school student.
“EJS is gratified to see the State of California reaffirm through the AG’s brief that expulsion is harmful, disproportionately applied to Latinx and Black students, among others, and should be used as a last resort,” said Alexandra Santa Ana, Staff Attorney at the Equal Justice Society.
The Equal Justice Society, National Center for Youth Law, ACLU of Northern California, and ACLU of Southern California on August 18, 2022, filed an amicus brief in the same case.
From the Attorney General’s announcement: “Under California law, students have a constitutional right to an education. Mandatory expulsions are reserved for students who pose the greatest threat to safety and school districts must follow the law before deciding to expel a student from school. Students with discipline issues should be kept in school, allowing their behaviors to be corrected without derailing their education — provided that can be accomplished in a way that keeps all students safe. In the current case, the school district failed to adhere to California’s standards for school discipline designed to protect the rights of all students.”
Read more about the brief filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Learn more about the brief filed by the Equal Justice Society, National Center for Youth Law, ACLU of Northern California, and ACLU of Southern California.