Hundreds of Maryland children are being arrested for disruptive school behavior under what advocates call an antiquated and discriminatory state law.
For the fourth year in a row, Delegate Sheila Ruth is sponsoring a bill to remove the school disruption charge from Maryland’s criminal code. This push comes as state lawmakers grapple with reforming the juvenile justice system, amid widespread concern about youth crime — despite data proving that it is decreasing in Maryland.
“These are situations where a student might be acting up a little bit, like teenagers sometimes do, they lose their temper and yell, or they refuse to change seats,” Ruth said. “There are internal processes for handling that. But instead, what’s happening is kids are being arrested.”
Black children are 5.5 times more likely to be charged with disruptive school behavior. Students with disabilities are charged 3.3 times more often than their nondisabled peers — many times for behaviors identified by school officials in their individualized education plans (IEPs).
