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“African-American students and those with particular educational disabilities experience a disproportionately high rate of removal from the classroom for disciplinary reasons,” he said.

One glaring example: 70 percent of black girls were suspended or expelled, compared with 37 percent of white girls, usually for the same offenses. This gets to another key finding: In almost every case, the decision to remove a student was made solely by a teacher or school administrator. This may explain why minority kids are punished disproportionately, said Doug Otto, schools superintendent in Plano, Texas. He said racial prejudice is involved.

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