In a strong rebuke yet of Illinois school districts that ask police to ticket misbehaving students, the state attorney general has declared that the practice — still being used across the state — is illegal and should stop. The attorney general, which had been investigating student ticketing in one of Illinois’ largest districts, found that Township High School District 211 in Palatine broke the law when administrators directed police to fine its students for school-based conduct, and that the practice had an “unjustified disparate impact” on Black and Latino students. “We strongly encourage other districts and police departments to review their policies and practices,” the office told ProPublica.
The attorney general’s office did not alert other districts of its findings, issued in July. That means its findings against the suburban Chicago district could have a narrow effect. In 2022, a ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation, “The Price Kids Pay,” reported that local police officers were writing students tickets that resulted in fines of up to $750. The tickets, for violating local ordinances, are considered noncriminal offenses and can be punishable only by a fine. The misbehavior included having vape pens, missing class, and participating in verbal or minor physical altercations. Gov. JB Pritzker and two state superintendents of education said schools should not rely on police to handle student misconduct. “What will really address this is a state law that would have an impact on all Illinois schools. That is the only possible way I see because it is so pervasive across Illinois,” said Angie Jiménez of the National Center for Youth Law. Jimenez said fining students as discipline should have stopped more than nine years ago when state law banned doing so.
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