Why Disability Advocates Are Concerned About School Resource Officers

Nashville Scene, 8/2/23

“The disability community is concerned that the proliferation of folks who are not trained to work with students with behavior needs, who are also not bound by the protection these students are due, could lead to a lot of bad outcomes,” says Jeff Strand, coordinator of government and external affairs for the Tennessee Disability Coalition. “Whether that be exposure to the juvenile justice system, exclusionary discipline practices like suspension, removal — things that are really going to exacerbate behavior issues rather than solve them.”