State: Racial disparities in Lakewood special ed placements

By Angela Delli Santi
Associated Press Writer
May 31, 2006, 6:45 PM EDT

TRENTON, N.J. -- The Lakewood School District discriminated against black and Hispanic preschoolers who qualified for special education programs, keeping them within the district while approving expensive, out-of-district placements for white students, the state Education Department confirmed.

The Education Department confirmed racial disparities outlined in a complaint filed last year by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, which alleged systematic discrimination by Lakewood in its preschool special education program. The department directed the district to submit a corrective action plan by July 31.

"The numbers showed a clear pattern of discrimination on the basis of race," said ACLU-NJ Legal Director Ed Barocas. The Education Department agreed with the ACLU that the disparities could not have occurred by chance.

Barocas said only one of 94 nonwhite preschool special ed students was sent out-of-district during 2002 and 2003 while more than half of the 123 white preschool special ed students were referred out of the district.

Full article at: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--specialed-discrim0531may31,0,2877950.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

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