AFC’s School Justice Project provides a range of direct services, including free individual case advocacy for families of students who face court involvement, school discipline, or behavioral or mental health challenges. The team works to help students get the behavioral, mental health, and academic support clients need to succeed in school. We also conduct workshops for families and professionals and use our legal and policy expertise to advance systemic reform in coalition with our community partners.
Tavian, an honor roll student, received a 30-day suspension for bringing over-the-counter cough medicine to school to help treat a cold. With AFC’s prompt intervention, Tavian was back in school after only 8 days, and working to make up the time he lost.
AFC was able to prove that Glen’s behavior was a direct result of his disabilities, and his school agreed and admitted it did not have the services needed to support Glen.
George was a junior with no history of disciplinary reprimands, but when noticed graffiti in the bathroom and informed the school safety officer, he was hand-cuffed, arrested, and suspended from school.
AFC successfully fought to reverse the charges associated with Steven's unjust suspension. Today, Steven is a successful student at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School.
Working in tandem, AFC’s attorney and Geoff’s court-appointed attorney convinced the Court not to give Geoff jail time, but to enroll him in the residential program and give him the chance to have a future and to pursue his dreams.
