Report: Black Girls Receive More Frequent and More Severe Discipline in School Than Other Girls

A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), points out that Black girls tend to face more and harsher forms of discipline than other girls including higher suspension and expulsion rates.

The report’s conclusion is based on an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data in the 2017-2018 school year. At the time, Black girls comprised 15 percent of all girls in public schools but received almost half of suspensions and expulsions. 

Moreover, Black girls received harsher punishments than their white female counterparts, even when the infractions that prompted disciplinary action were similar. The report concluded that the trend was a national problem and noted that in every state in the U.S., Black girls faced higher discipline rates.