ACLU California has described infractions for willful defiance as too broad and subjective, with some students being suspended for “dancing, dress code violations, or not paying attention in class.” Talking back is another common ground for willful defiance suspensions, and experts say that can be shaped by biases.
“Students belong in school,” said bill author Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) in a press release. “Suspending youth for low-level behavior issues leads to significant harm, including learning loss and a higher likelihood that affected students will drop out of school completely. SB 274 puts the needs of students first. Instead of kicking them out of school, we owe it to students to figure out what’s causing them to act out and help them fix it.”