Missouri disproportionately suspends a higher rate of black elementary school students than any other state in the country.
That’s according to a study out of UCLA that said, state-wide, elementary schools suspended more than 14 percent of their black students, compared to just 1.8 percent of their white students.
In particular, the study said, districts near St. Louis were some of the worst when it came to unequal treatment of black and white students.
Michael Brown, the 18-year-old whose death sparked protests and riots in Ferguson, went to school in the unaccredited Normandy School District, which had elementary suspension rates of more than 20 percent for black students.
In all, the study found school districts in Missouri with higher numbers of black students also had a much higher rate of suspension.
The study’s lead author argued closing this so-called discipline gap is crucial for closing the achievement gap between black and white students.