Inspired by the rebellion against police brutality and racism, school boards across the country are being called upon to terminate contracts with local police departments. This is a growing expression of the Black Lives Matter struggle and important step in the movement to defund the police.
Parents and community groups whose children have been victims of abuse or profiling have been pressing school boards to end the practice, but elected officials have been reluctant or unwilling to confront police violence on campuses—until now. By July, there are over fourteen districts that have already terminated contracts, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Madison, Milwaukee, Seattle, Columbus, and Charlottesville. Several other districts are in the process of “reviewing contracts.”