The 2024 Arthur L. Beeley Lecture Sponsored by Charles S. Pohl, LCSW, CGP
Barred from Learning
Examining School Suspension & the Criminalization of Blackness in U.S. Public Schools
Location: Okazaki Community Meeting Room (155), University of Utah College of Social Work and
Online via Zoom
Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (MT)
Overview
This lecture examines how school discipline practices—particularly suspensions—contribute to the criminalization of Black students in U.S. public schools. Presented by Dr. Charles Bell, the talk explores the role of personal and institutional bias in school punishment, drawing on interviews with Black students and their families who have experienced out-of-school suspensions. The session also addresses the broader impacts of exclusionary discipline practices, such as suspension, seclusion, restraint, and school safety measures, on students, parents, and educators. Part of the 2024 Arthur L. Beeley Lecture series, the event invites critical reflection on equity, justice, and educational policy.
About Presenter
Dr. Charles Bell is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State UniversityDr. Bell’s research explores how out-of-school suspension, seclusion, restraint, and school safety measures impact students, parents, and teachers. He also examines social factors that contribute to violent student-student and student-teacher altercations.