Kayleb Moon-Robinson —who is diagnosed as autistic— had barely started sixth grade last fall in Lynchburg, Virginia, when a school resource officer filed charges against him. Credit: Charlie Archambault/The Center for Public Integrity

The cellphone video of a white police officer body slamming a peaceful African-American student in South Carolina has provided a visceral spark to the national conversation over school policing.

Earlier this year, Reveal teamed up with The Center for Public Integrity to tell the story of how misbehavior that used to result in a trip to the principal’s office is now leading to arrests, interrogations and criminal charges, even for preteens. One case in particular jumped out: a sixth-grader – diagnosed with autism – who was charged with a crime for kicking a garbage can.

You can hear the story on the Web, or if you listen to us on iTunes, scroll down to the April episodes. It’s titled “From detention to detainment in Virginia.” You can read CPI’s story here.

 

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Andy Donohue was the executive editor for projects for Reveal. He edited Reveal’s investigations into the treatment of migrant children in government care, Amazon’s labor practices, rehab work camps and sexual abuse in the janitorial industry. He was on teams that have twice been Pulitzer Prize finalists and won Investigative Reporters and Editors, Edward R. Murrow, Online News Association, Third Coast International Audio Festival, Gerald Loeb, Sidney Hillman Foundation and Emmy awards. He previously helped build and lead Voice of San Diego, served on the IRE board for eight years and is an alumnus of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.