Nearly 15 years after student discipline reform, school suspensions in Mass. are falling. Are emergency removals taking their place?

Massachusetts school suspensions have decreased since 2012 reforms under Chapter 222, which aimed to reduce punitive discipline and address racial disparities. However, emergency student removals—allowing immediate removal for up to two days without a hearing—have risen sharply, from 1,500 in 2018 to over 3,900 in 2025, raising concerns about potential circumvention of disciplinary policies.