“So a kid did scribble on a sidewalk. Is that technically vandalism? Sure. But is the best way to handle it really for the officer to arrest that kid?“

As the new school year begins, a new On Assignment episode explores how schools across the country are disciplining students...by arresting them.

Reporter Bigad Shaban’s 2018 duPont Awards-winning reporting digs into the data to reveal the widespread misuse of police on school campuses, particularly towards minority students and students with disabilities. He tells J-School Prizes Executive Director of Abi Wright and duPont-Columbia Awards Director Lisa R. Cohen what happens when police officers replace guidance counselors to handle student misbehavior, and the scars it leaves on the most vulnerable kids, along with criminal records.

Listen in for more on Shaban’s investigation—how his reporting led to widespread policy reform that impacted dozens of schools and over 30,000 students.

And how it felt when CNN anchor Jake Tapper called out his mother from the stage after his duPont win.

Watch Bigad Shaban’s Arrested At School series now at NBC Bay Area news.

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