Deena Hayes-Greene: What changed? Suddenly conservatives support school-suspension appeals (2024)

State Sen. Steve Jarvis, R-Davidson and Davie, has proposed a new bill allowing North Carolina students and their parents to appeal short-term school suspensions. This policy shift has garnered significant attention and support, especially from conservative lawmakers. However, the irony and hypocrisy of this newfound enthusiasm for due process cannot be overlooked.

Some of the conservatives who are championing this bill today vehemently opposed a similar policy when Guilford County Schools proposed it in late 2019. This reversal in stance reveals a deeper issue about the consistency of our commitment to due process and fairness in education.

In October 2019, the Guilford County Schools superintendent at that time, Dr. Sharon L. Contreras, put forth a policy to allow appeals for short-term suspensions, sparking intense debate. Media coverage highlighted the community’s division over the proposed changes. Conservatives were particularly vocal in their opposition, arguing that such a policy would undermine school authority and discipline. The hypocrisy of their current support for the new bill is stark and troubling.

One of the most prominent figures in this opposition was Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who launched his political career by championing the anti-appeal stance in Guilford County Schools. In November 2019, Robinson positioned himself as a staunch defender of traditional school discipline policies, rallying against the proposed appeals process. His vocal opposition played a significant role in galvanizing conservative resistance to the policy.

Due process is a foundational principle of our country, enshrined in the Constitution and essential to the fair administration of justice. It is a principle that should extend to our educational system, ensuring that students and parents have a right to challenge disciplinary decisions that can significantly impact a student’s future. Nearly every state in the union, both red and blue, already allows for a parent/student appeal of short-term suspensions. This is not a radical or unprecedented idea; it is a basic safeguard to ensure fairness and accountability in our schools.

In 2019, when Dr. Contreras proposed the suspension appeal policy, the pushback was fierce. Conservatives argued that allowing appeals would lead to chaos and undermine teachers’ authority. Yet, the response from most parents in the community demonstrated a clear demand for fairness and due process. Parents and students wanted a system where they could voice their grievances and seek redress, a system that many other states already had in place.

Media coverage at the time highlighted deep divisions within the community. While some feared that appeals would lead to an increase in litigation and administrative burdens, many saw it as a necessary step toward equity and justice in school discipline. The conservative opposition at the time seemed more concerned with maintaining control than with ensuring fair treatment for all students.

Fast forward to today, and we see a dramatic shift. Those who once decried or were painfully silent about the idea of suspension appeals now champion it as a necessary reform. This change of heart raises important questions about their motivations and the consistency of their principles. If due process is a fundamental right, as they now claim, why was it not worthy of support in 2019?

Current conservative support for due process suggests that it is selective, contingent upon political convenience rather than a genuine commitment to justice and fairness. It is crucial for lawmakers to be consistent in their principles and to support policies that protect students’ rights, regardless of the political climate or when it simply suits their agenda.

As a board member who has served for 22 years, I have witnessed firsthand the impact of disciplinary decisions on students’ lives, I urge lawmakers to adopt a consistent and principled approach to school discipline policies. We must ensure that all students, regardless of their background or circ*mstances, have access to a fair and just system of discipline. This includes the right to appeal short-term suspensions, a policy that should be supported on its merits, not on the shifting sands of political convenience.

The foundational principles of due process and fairness should guide our decisions in education policy. We must embrace a consistent commitment to justice for all students in North Carolina.