Though this is a specific legal, governmental remedy, it's the result of years of powerful community work by regular people, residents parents and students.

PPG is eager to observe how this Assurance of Discontinuance settlement will be put into action. We will advocate for a fair and unbiased monitor of school suspensions for the next four years.

As a city, we must continue to protect the rights of our children and divert them away from systems that lead to incarceration and lifetime consequences and disadvantage.

"Today’s agreement is a much-needed step towards a more supportive, welcoming, and safer Buffalo Public Schools community," said Quinn Martha, Education Strategist at the NYCLU. "For years, we’ve watched the District deny students access to schoolwork and mental health support for months on end, kick out our youngest students for normal childish behaviors like whistling, violate Black and brown students’ civil rights, and push countless children into the school to prison pipeline. Students deserve the chance to learn, explore, fail, and then pick themselves back up — not constantly worry about getting suspended over the smallest infraction. We’re hopeful that this AOD will rectify the civil rights violations rampant in BPS, keep more kids in the classroom, and focus more educators on the student-centered, restorative forms of discipline that actually work.”

“The findings of the AG office validates the lived experiences that students, parents and advocates have been sharing with the public for years. ," said Sam White of the WNY Law Center. "This is an acknowledgement from BPS of a pattern of civil rights violations and a legally binding commitment to change it or face additional litigation from the NYS AG.”