The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of current and former Indian students in Winner, South Dakota, accusing the school district of discrimination.

The lawsuit says the school's disciplinary policies single out American Indians. The Indian students say they are punished more harshly than non-Indians for similar infractions.

According to data, Indian students at Winner middle and high schools are three times more likely to be suspended and 10 times more likely to be referred to the police department.

As a result of this "school-to-prison pipeline," few Indian students finish school in Winner, the lawsuit alleges. They are forced to leave the nearby Rosebud Sioux Reservation to complete their education, the ACLU says.

Get the Story:
ACLU: Winner seeks to discourage Indians (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 3/29)
Winner school district sued for racial discrimination (The Rapid City Journal 3/29)
ACLU: Indian Students Punished More (AP 3/29)
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