蜜桃传媒

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. 鈥� The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission has agreed to abide by its own commitments about when it will take public comments during its meetings and hold those meetings in locations that are accessible to the public, among other provisions to allow the community a fair opportunity to share their concerns. This agreement resolves a lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center (蜜桃传媒) on behalf of youth activists denied an opportunity to speak during the public comments portion of the Commission meeting on October 16, 2019.聽

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of March for Our Lives Florida, Florida Student Power Network, the Dream Defenders, and individual students who planned to speak at the October meeting.聽

鈥淭his lawsuit is about ensuring the voices of those most impacted by the Commission鈥檚 recommendations can be heard,鈥� said Bacardi Jackson, managing attorney for 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 children鈥檚 rights project in Florida. 鈥淯nfortunately, there currently is no representation on the Commission for children or communities most under threat by overpolicing. This agreement makes clear that they, and anyone concerned about the Commission鈥檚 proposals, can no longer be ignored.鈥�

Jackson continued, 鈥淭he policy recommendations by the Commission have serious consequences for Black students, other students of color and students with disabilities as they have a high potential of becoming law. These students are disproportionately targeted for exclusionary discipline and arrest聽 for normal adolescent behavior and minor infractions and face the potentially deadly consequences of the proliferation of guns in the hands of inadequately trained school personnel. Although this case is closed, our efforts to get policymakers like the MSD Commission to rethink policies that have had the unintended consequences of making schools less safe, hostile and harmful for many of Florida鈥檚 students continue.鈥澛�

As one plaintiff, Kinsey Akers, put it, in comments to the commission: 鈥淎s students, we have a right to let our thoughts and opinions be considered, and we should feel empowered to do so. It is because of the devotion of our state's hardworking organizers, policymakers, and community members alike that Florida's schools are moving promisingly in the direction of safety, and I am proud that Florida's students are finally being recognized for their valued perspectives.鈥澛�

In October, the 蜜桃传媒 released a report describing how the Commission鈥檚 composition, decision-making process and recommendations make schools and vulnerable student populations less safe. It details how decisions were made without thoroughly studying the impact police have on students in schools. The Commission is made up almost entirely of law enforcement representatives and virtually no one on the Commission has experience in public education, school administration, youth development or mental health.