The investigation was opened following community concerns and public reporting regarding discipline practices within the district.
Source: N.M. Department of Justice
Albuquerque, NM — Attorney General Raúl Torrez today released the New Mexico Department of Justice’s investigative report into student discipline practices at Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS), finding that the district relies on out-of-school suspensions at some of the highest rates in New Mexico and that Native American and Hispanic students are disciplined more frequently and more severely than their White peers.
The investigation was opened following community concerns and public reporting regarding discipline practices within the district. The NMDOJ analyzed several years of publicly available discipline data, reviewed district policies, examined complaints, and heard from educators, families, and community stakeholders.
The report concludes that GMCS students lose at least twice as many instructional days to out-of-school suspensions as the statewide average, despite committing similar types and rates of infractions as students in comparable New Mexico school districts. It also found longstanding racial disparities in exclusionary disciplinary outcomes, including that Native American students lose roughly eight to ten times as many instructional days to out-of-school suspension as White students, while Hispanic students lose three to four times as many.
“Every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn in a safe and supportive school environment,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Our investigation found that Gallup-McKinley County Schools relies too heavily on exclusionary discipline and that these practices disproportionately affect Native American and Hispanic students. The loss of instructional time has real consequences for academic success and future opportunity. This report is intended to provide a roadmap for reforms that promote accountability, fairness, and better outcomes for students.”
In addition to documenting disparities in exclusionary discipline, the report concludes that the district’s disciplinary policies provide broad discretion with limited guidance, increasing the risk of inconsistent outcomes. It also identifies shortcomings in data collection and recommends clearer disciplinary standards, expanded training, regular public reporting of discipline data, and stronger state oversight.
The report also notes encouraging progress in recent years, including declines in expulsions and referrals to law enforcement, while emphasizing that additional work is needed to reduce excessive use of out-of-school suspensions and eliminate racial disparities in discipline.
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