PORTLAND, Ore. — A year and a half ago, a student of color called me in the middle of the school day and told me that a School Resource Officer (SRO) had harassed her for taking a trip to the bathroom with no hall pass.
Also in the halls were four white students, whom the SRO ignored to wait for the student of color outside the bathroom. When she exited, he followed her back to her classroom with a hand on his gun.
She was in tears as we spoke, sobbing because the place where she was supposed to feel safe and protected to focus on learning was now putting her in danger.
While protesters march for racial justice and Americans call for an end to police brutality, we must not overlook the role that our schools play in our nation’s systemic injustices. Search “School Resource Officer brutality” online, and you’ll find pages and pages of complaints about excessive force written by kids who haven’t even reached high school.
tice every moment of every day. Wilson was raised on the idea that “if you have a problem, be a part of the solution.”
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