NO. NEXT QUESTION? Is ADHD an excuse for punching classmate and a teacher?

“New York City’s public schools routinely flout federal rules designed to prevent schools from removing children from class for long periods due to behavior related to their disabilities, reports a Chalkbeat investigation. If Tristan’s disability had been considered a factor in the fight, the hearing office ruled, he could have been suspended for only one week.

Students with disabilities are far more likely to be suspended than non-disabled peers. In part, that’s because behavioral and emotional issues such as oppositional defiant disorder are disabilities.

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to educate disabled students with non-disabled students when possible, writes Zimmerman. If a student’s misbehavior is related to a disability, “the student is supposed to return to class immediately, and the school is required to conduct a behavior assessment.” There are exceptions for “extreme violence, drugs, or weapons possession.”

How does that promote the education of the vast majority of kids without behavioral issues?