Detroit - Secondary students across Michigan are disciplined disproportionately if they happen to be African-American, according to a report released by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.

    The report, conducted from 2005-07, says in a significant number of Michigan school districts, students of African descent are suspended and expelled at rates that are disproportionately high relative to their representation in the school population. In contrast, white students tend to be disciplined at rates that are proportionate to their numbers, or disproportionately less than their numbers in the school population, according to the report.

    The report, Reclaiming Michigan's Throwaway Kids, found that in the Taylor School District, for example, from 2005 through 2007 black students were 20 percent of a secondary school population of 10,221, but they received 35 percent of the 10,898 short-term suspensions. A phone message left with the district was not returned in time for publication.

    In the Ann Arbor School District during 2006-07, black students were 18 percent of a secondary school student population of 9,655, but they received 58 percent of the 817 suspensions, according to the report.

    "I want to talk to our superintendent about this before I respond," said Brian Thiel, superintendent of curriculum in the district.

    At Walled Lake Western High, where black students accounted for an estimated 16 percent of the population in 2007-08, the most recent period for which statistics were available, about 17 percent of that group had three or more discipline referrals, officials said. Meanwhile, for white students, who accounted for about 79 percent of Walled Lake Western's student population, that figure was 77 percent.

    Walled Lake Consolidated School District Spokesman Judy Evola disputed the data relating to her district in the ACLU report, adding that black and white students are disciplined proportionately.

    "We believe these percentages are about the same numbers for both numbers of ethnic groups," Evola said.

    Evola said the district has made strides in improving the academic performance of black students.

    "According to recent state test data (Michigan Merit Exam) our Walled Lake Western High School African American students are significantly closing the achievement gap as a result of our very aggressive plan working with parents, students and staff."

    In the Fitzgerald School District, black students were 28.6 percent of a secondary school population of 1,684 but received more than 42 percent of the 3,004 suspensions issued in 2006-07, according to the ACLU report.

    In the Van Dyke School District during 2007-08, black students were 32 percent of a secondary school student population of 973 but they received 58 percent of 317 short-term suspensions, the report states.

    Nine of 12 students who received long-term suspensions were black, and all four students who were expelled that year were of African descent, according to the ACLU findings.

    Messages were left with the Fitzgerald and Van Dyke school districts.

    The ACLU representative reserved comment for a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. today.

    One of the recommendations to address the problem offered by the ACLU of Michigan is to establish uniform statewide procedural protocols for the discipline of students that ensure that students accused of misconduct have full and fair opportunities to explain their actions and otherwise defend themselves.

    The lack of this policy contributes to a school-to-prison pipeline problem due to a number of factors, including lack of universal access to quality education, institutional obstacles that limit education opportunities and the criminalization of students who lose their educational opportunities, according to the report.