Students march to a park as part of a National School Walkout to honor the 17 students and staff members killed at the school in Parkland, Florida, March 14, 2018. (Reuters / Joe Skipper)
WASHINGTON: New federal data show that black students continue to be expelled and suspended from school much more frequently than their white peers.
The report released by the Education Department on Tuesday is likely to add to an already tense national debate about what causes such racial disparities.
Civil rights groups believe that racial bias is at play and insist that federal protections are necessary. Other experts say that imposing discipline restrictions on schools causes chaos in classrooms.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is considering scrapping Obama-era rules that were meant to counter those disparities.
Data shows that while black students represented 8 percent of all enrolled students in 2015-2016, they accounted for 25 percent of suspensions.
Black girls made up 8 percent of all students and 14 percent of suspensions.
