The SPLC is hosting or supporting events in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi this month to raise public awareness of the need to reform criminal justice policies that are harming vulnerable children.

The U.S. Department of Education today issued important guidance clarifying that the nation’s charter schools must not discriminate against children on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or language barriers.

Kelly Fischer faced discrimination in New Orleans when she tried to find a school for her blind, autistic son. She became a plaintiff in an SPLC suit filed to ensure the city’s public schools comply with federal law by providing students with disabilities the educational services they need.

A Louisiana school district at the center of a federal civil rights investigation prematurely pushes students out of classes for English language learners and ultimately “stifles educational opportunities” for these students, according to new findings uncovered by the Southern Poverty Law Center.