Offsetting Racial Divides:

Zero-Tolerance School Suspensions & Restorative Justice Practices

A Scholar's Published Case Study

Case Study

Dr. Ashley N. Gwathney, MSW, LCSW

Rutgers University New Brunswick, School of Social Work, DSW Program

Ashley briefly discusses her case study, Offsetting Racial Divides: Adolescent African American Males and Restorative Justice Practices. She provides a brief overview of her research in using a holistic lens to examine gaps in data and school practices.

Case Overview:

Elijah, a 17-year-old Black male, experienced several microaggressions in class. Seeking support, he requests a course change. However, due to school policies, his request is denied. Soon after, he was "pushed over the edge" and received a ten-day suspension. During his suspension, he expressed feelings of isolation, hunger, and struggled to complete assignments.

Zero-Tolerance School Suspension

Elijah experienced a ten-day zero-tolerance school suspension. Using a student-centered lens, I delivered assignments and completed daily check-ins through a texting app. He revealed missing school and struggled to complete assignments. I acknowledged concerns and established weekly counseling.

Restorative Justice

Elijah returned to school, completed the ACEs assessment, and scored 8 out of 10. I used a trauma-informed lens to increase empathic connections and community support. I merged counter-storytelling w. restorative justice to address his experiences of racialized trauma.

Additional Findings and Statistics

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