CLE seeks to protect the right of youth to remain in school through the development of materials designed for advocacy and collaborative strategies, training, and ongoing support. We rely upon on an expanded network of advocates, including pro bono counsel, to protect students’ rights and to reduce the removal of students from instruction as a result of disciplinary exclusion or police and court referral in response to school-related behavior. CLE also collaborates with members of the school community — administrators, teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders — (1) to address policies and practices and adversely affect the school climate, target students based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability, undermine learning, push-out or encourage students to drop out of school; and (2) to ensure that school and district level policy changes are adopted and implemented.
CLE established a model Pro Bono Education Project in 2008, to provide high quality legal representation to students of color and from low-income families who are disproportionately excluded from school through suspension, expulsion, and criminalization of behavior by referrals to law enforcement. The project draws upon CLE’s significant experience representing students in administrative due process hearing.
View Examples of CLE’s Work on School Discipline
This resolution by the ABA calls for improving laws and implementing and enforcing policies that will help advance students’ right to remain in school, including by promoting a safe and supportive school environment, proactively addressing problems leading to students leaving school through dropping out or discinaplinary exclusion or involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Pleadings and Memoranda
Goodwin v. Lee Public Schools et. al, SJC-11977, amicus curiae for CLE and the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts
February 25, 2016
This brief argues that LPS violated the plain language of G.L. c. 17 s. 37H 1/2(1), and G.L. c. 71…
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Doe v. Town of Weston, SJC-10981 (sua sponte), amicus curiae for CLE and Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice, Harvard Law School, Joanne S. Karger, Kathleen B. Boundy
March 31, 2011
This brief argues that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying deference to…
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Camreta v. Greene, amicus curiae on petition of cert., for the Center for Law and Education, Learning Rights Law Center, Chicago Coalition for the Homelesss, PACER Center, Parents United for Responsible Education, Winston & Strawn, LLP
January 14, 2011
CLE joins amici curiae in arguing that public schools should not be places “in which student privacy…
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Center for Law and Education and Choate, Hall & Stewart Successfully Challenge “Zero Tolerance” School Weapons Policy
December 15, 2009
Center for Law and Education and Choate, Hall & Stewart Successfully Challenge “Zero Tolerance”…
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