Zero tolerance policies effect everyone. I'm sure if the kid was white he would be treated exactly the same. Now, it depends what kind of white kid, certainly.

Zero tolerance policies effect everyone. I'm sure if the kid was white he would be treated exactly the same. Now, it depends what kind of white kid, certainly. The captain of the football team? Probably a slap on the wrist. Anyone who wears black more than a day a month? Definitely getting arrested. According to the district documents, the policies for a "look-alike weapon" are the same as those for a weapon -- see: http://www.irvingisd.net/cms/lib010/TX01917973/Centricity/Domain/1454/Irving%20ISD%20Student%20Code%20of%20Conduct%202015-2106%20English.pdf http://www.irvingisd.net/cms/lib010/TX01917973/Centricity/Do... http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/367?filename=FOD(LEGAL).pdf http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/367?filename=FOD(LEGAL).... Zero-tolerance policies do disproportionally damage students of color (like many policies in most countries...) but they're perfectly capable of damaging white students as well, and it's almost certainly false to say that if a nerdy, technophillic white kid brought a strange device to a Texas school, he wouldn't be arrested for possessing a "look-alike" bomb.