It’s no longer a surprising revelation that Black girls are disciplined at disproportionately high rates compared to their peers of other racial backgrounds.
However, new data from two women’s advocacy organizations and the federal government has further shed light on this persistent trend. Black girls, who make up just 15% of public school students, are far more likely than white girls to be suspended for behavior issues — and face exclusionary expulsion and corporal punishment as early as preschool.’
A 2024 report from the National Black Women’s Justice Institute found that Black K-12 girls represented more than three times their enrollment share in transfers and corporal punishment and more than double their share in expulsions. This data has been bolstered by a new report from the Government Accountability Office, which found that in the 2017-2018 school year, Black girls accounted for nearly half of all exclusionary discipline cases — including 45% of out-of-school suspensions, 37% of in-school suspensions, and 43% of expulsions.
This disparity also echoes the findings from the National Women’s Law Journal and Ed Trust, which reported that in the 2015-2016 school year, Black girls were five times more likely than their white peers to be suspended. In addition, the report also found that as early as preschool, Black girls made up 20% of the female enrollment but accounted for 53% of out-of-school suspensions.
Bayliss Fiddiman, senior director of educational equity at NWLC, tells Word In Black that the new findings illustrate the uphill battle Black girls face in school.
“These disparities have existed for years, but the GAO report is a stark reminder that little has changed,” she said. “The data reinforced what we already knew as a problem — Black girls are subject to harsher disciplinary actions for behaviors that are often perceived through the lens of bias, such as defiance or disruption.”
Adultification and Colorism contribute to the Disparity
The GAO identified that the disproportionate discipline of Black girls is due to a range of factors, including poverty levels, disabilities, and the presence of school resource officers. However, racial bias — particularly via adultification and colorism — plays the most significant role.
“Teachers and school staff often perceive Black girls as older and more mature than they are, which means they are seen as more ‘responsible’ for their actions and are punished more severely than their peers,” says Dr. Sydney McKinney, executive director of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute. “This bias manifests in labeling typical teenage behavior as ‘disrespect’ or ‘disruption,’ and Black girls often bear the brunt of these stereotypes.”
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Fiddiman also elaborated on the colorism factor: “Black girls with darker skin are undoubtedly more likely to be punished than those with lighter skin,” she says. “It’s an unfortunate extension of the racial bias that permeates school discipline systems.”
Black Girl Discipline Is a National Public Crisis
The discipline crisis among Black K-12 girls spans every state in the U.S. McKinney pointed to the long-standing trends in exclusionary discipline data from the 2024 NBWJI report. “Our data from 2011 to 2018 shows consistent overrepresentation of Black girls in nearly every category of discipline—whether it’s suspensions, expulsions, or referrals to law enforcement,” she says. “This consistency over time is perhaps the most alarming aspect. It’s clear that little progress has been made despite awareness of the issue.”
The over-punishment of Black girls in schools is not a recent phenomenon but part of a broader historical trend of excessive discipline rooted in racial and gender biases. That includes corporal punishment in the classroom.
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In Arkansas, for example, an 8-year-old Black girl was paddled for refusing to do her schoolwork. The administrator involved later acknowledged the harm caused by such punishment, especially when disproportionately applied to Black students.
A 2019 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies later found that Black girls like the 8-year-old are paddled at three times the rate of white girls.
Nowhere is the corporal punishment issue more pronounced than in states like Mississippi. During the 2013-14 school year, nearly 44% of all Black girls in the U.S. who faced corporal punishment were from the state. Moreover, schools in Southern states, such as Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Texas, exhibited some of the largest disparities, with Black girls being struck significantly more than their white peers.
Additionally, zero-tolerance policies have long targeted Black girls for minor infractions, such as dress code violations or minor behavioral issues, leading to suspensions, expulsions, and even arrests. These policies are part of what researchers call the “school-to-prison pipeline,” where disciplinary measures contribute to long-term academic and legal consequences for Black students.
The Long-Term Educational Impact
The long-term effects of exclusionary discipline are profound, including academic disengagement, lower self-esteem, and higher dropout rates. In the GAO report, school counselors and psychologists emphasized the damaging effects these biases have on Black girls’ academic performance and emotional well-being, noting that they “often feel unsafe or unsupported in school environments” — emotions that can have lasting consequences on their self-esteem and educational outcomes.
“Black girls are five times more likely than their white peers to be suspended at least once, which means they are missing critical learning time,” Fiddiman said. “This contributes to a growing disconnect between them and their school environment, creating a cycle where they are less likely to feel supported or able to succeed.”
While Fiddiman and Dr. McKinney noted that some school districts acknowledge the problem, they often fail to take substantial action or lack financial and structural resources to implement necessary policy and practice changes.
A Call for Reform
The GAO report’s findings have reignited calls for policy reform, urging schools to move away from exclusionary discipline and adopt more culturally responsive practices that address the root causes of behavior rather than simply punishing students. Fiddiman and Dr. McKinney emphasize the need for data-driven solutions and trauma-informed policies to create a positive school climate for Black girls.
“The discipline gap between Black girls and White girls is largely due to how they’re disciplined within the same schools,” says Fiddiman. “This information is crucial because it highlights the bias within the school system. While looking at state-level data is useful, examining specific schools where Black girls are disproportionately disciplined makes it easier to pinpoint solutions.”
Dr. McKinney agrees: “Without this level of specificity, schools can too easily ignore the problem.”
Fiddiman also stresses the importance of trauma-informed policies and interventions that consider the life experiences of Black girls. “It’s about creating an environment where they feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.”
Dr. McKinney echoes this sentiment, pointing to the deep awareness of the unequal treatment they face. “What I consistently find is how clear Black girls are about the changes needed to help them thrive. They’re not shy about identifying what they need. We just have to listen and follow their lead.”
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