CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has been very busy investigating schools across America for perceived discriminatory practices related to discipline. On Tuesday, two separate local news outlets reported on one such federal investigation into Iowa’s Cedar Rapids School District.

Jill Kasparie of KCRG reported that the “formal investigation centers on discovering if the school district unfairly disciplines black students.” She continued to say that while the school district invited journalists to the public meeting, “investigators with the OCR said it’s an ‘ongoing investigation’ and asked us to leave – ultimately journalists would be in the room, but our cameras had to be outside.”

“Despite calling it an open forum,” reported CBS 2, “our television cameras were banned from the civil rights meeting.” Most of the deliberations are being conducted “in private,” according to the report. Journalist Matt Hammill said, “[T]his investigation – very secretive – one of the reasons we were kicked out tonight…”

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Earlier this month, it was reported that the federal investigation into the Cedar Rapids School District was based on a “single complaint,” according to Mary Ellen Maske, deputy superintendent. As a result of that single complaint, the feds are investigating “Washington, Kennedy and Metro high schools, Franklin, Taft and McKinley Middle Schools and Grant and Harrison Elementary schools.”

Iowa has its own taxpayer-funded department of civil rights, which raises questions about why the feds would need to be involved in investigating local elementary schools in the state. But not to worry, as local bureaucrats also regularly investigate schools for perceived racial discrimination in discipline. On Monday night, for example, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission “held a public meeting…to discuss possible indicators of racism in the Susquehanna Township School District,” as reported at the local ABC affiliate.

Racial discipline disparities has been a cause célèbre in progressive circles for quite some time. Many activists believe that the disparity leads to criminality down the road. Tied to the push to reduce this disparity is the “school-to-prison pipeline,” described by the ACLU as “a disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems,” adding that, “‘Zero-tolerance’ policies criminalize minor infractions of school rules, while cops in school lead to students being criminalized for behavior that should be handled inside the school.”

Like all disparate impact policies, however, the root causes for disproportionate discipline practices are not addressed, or are largely diminished.

With expensive federal investigations being launched based on one complaint, it is not a stretch to consider that taxpayer dollars are being squandered on such initiatives, especially since “activists” can also launch investigations, such as in the case of an investigation into the Recovery School District in New Orleans this week, which was launched by a letter signed by hard-left groups such as “the national Advancement Project,” or an investigation into the Chamberlain School District in South Dakota based on a complaint from “activist” James Cadwell. Local news reports confirmed this week that the Vicksburg Warren School District in Mississippi is also being investigated by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights for “a racial disparity in gifted students.”

Earlier this year, the OCR released a “guidance” for schools to “help public elementary and secondary schools administer student discipline in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of race.” The guidance notes in part that based on the department’s “Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC),” the OCR was able to conclude that “racial discrimination in school discipline is a real problem…” The CRDC is a “mandatory data collection” and is “used nationally to analyze civil rights indicators…” The CRDC maintains detailed information on each school in the United States, including the racial makeup of their respective student bodies. An overview of the “Supportive School Discipline Initiative” can be found here, and a recordings of the webinar series can be viewed here.

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The ongoing federal investigations are likely why “school districts around the country have revised their discipline codes,” as reported Wednesday at Education Week, adding that “many are zeroing in on limiting or eliminating the ability to suspend students for broad offenses like ‘willful defiance’ and ‘disruption.'”