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For years, a Pittsburgh Public Schools student making an obscene gesture or excessive noise — what some consider typical teenage behavior — could lead to a disorderly conduct violation, and ultimately a spiral into the juvenile justice system.
The disorderly conduct code, which data showed was disproportionately used on Black students in the district, could lead to criminal charges against students and was often criticized by education justice advocates for being an overly subjective or catch-all charge.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools [PPS] board on Wednesday evening axed the disorderly conduct code for 6th through 12th-grade students, approving a new code of conduct with a 6-3 vote during a mildly contentious meeting where board members disagreed on a slate of proposed changes.
Board Member Pam Harbin proposed the removal of a section of the code outlining more serious handling of repeated level 1 infractions, which was approved in a 5-3 vote. Level 1 infractions are non-violent and include issues such as teasing or horseplay, being late to class, or cutting class. Another proposal by Harbin to extend the suspension ban through 5th grade failed in a 3-4-2 vote, including two abstentions from board member William Gallagher and Kevin Carter.
Multiple board members said they were either surprised, concerned or confused at changes proposed for the code after a policy workshop in the spring. District officials said the proposed changes were a response to feedback from stakeholders including the board and principals.
Board Member Cynthia Falls, who voted against the code of conduct, said her opposition was because of a confusing process around changes made before the document was presented to the board.
The Pittsburgh Public School board approved a new code of conduct in a 6-3 vote at the June 2021 legislative hearing. (Screenshot)
“It just seems like we’re getting bombarded with information and changes, and I just can’t put it together, it’s not making any sense to me what we’re doing here,” Falls said. “My vote will be no because I don’t know what I’m voting on.”
Gallagher, who also voted against the code, initially proposed to table the vote until July.
The administration building of Pittsburgh Public Schools in Oakland. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)
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https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-public-disorderly-conduct-cut-code-conduct-advocates-suspensions-pps/
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