Are There Consequences for Multiple Marginalized Identities? The Relationship Between Race, Disability Status, and Discipline in San Antonio K-12 Schools

Black and Latino/a/x students with disabilities experience significant marginalization that adversely affects their experiences with school discipline. The current study examined the disciplinary experiences of Black, Latinx, and White K-12 students with disabilities in 464 schools located in San Antonio, Texas, and discovered that Black and Latinx students with disabilities were overrepresented in various categories of exclusionary discipline practices, restraints, and seclusion. Black and Latinx students with disabilities were also found to have a higher risk of receiving exclusionary discipline practices, some restraints, and seclusion compared to White students with disabilities. Additionally, Black and Latinx student enrollment was found to predict an increase in students with disabilities subject to exclusionary discipline practices. The findings provide valuable information for where schools’ community stakeholders should be targeting intervention to improve the educational experiences of Black and Latinx students with disabilities