Zero-tolerance suspensions are exclusionary practices that disrupt and deny students access to structured routines, academic instruction, and school-provided meals. Throughout the United States, statistical comparisons in zero-tolerance suspensions illustrate harsh racial disproportionalities, particularly for adolescent African American males. Inequities in disciplinary practices place adolescent African American males at higher risk for dropping out of high school, retention, and incarceration. Recent literature highlights the pathway of restorative justice as a tool to decrease inequities in zero-tolerance school suspensions. This case study applies the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine this phenomenon by presenting the story of a 17-year-old African American male and his lived experience of a zero-tolerance school suspension and the social and emotional benefits of counter-storytelling as a restorative justice practice. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature by illustrating the inequities of mandated school suspensions and the observed outcomes when a social worker with experience in CRT and restorative justice intervenes.

零容忍停学是一种排外行为，会扰乱和拒绝学生使用结构化的例行程序，学术指导和学校提供的餐食。在整个美国，零容忍悬架的统计比较表明种族之间存在严重的比例失衡，尤其是对于青春期的非洲裔美国男性。纪律做法的不平等使青春期的非洲裔美国男性更容易辍学，留守和被监禁。最新文献强调恢复性司法是减少零容忍学校停学中不平等现象的一种手段。本案例研究运用临界种族理论（CRT）的理论框架，通过介绍一个17岁的非洲裔美国男性的故事以及他对零容忍学校停学的亲身经历以及该群体的社会和情感益​​处，来研究这种现象。反叙事作为恢复性司法实践。本文试图通过说明在具有CRT和恢复性司法经验的社工干预下强制性停学的不公平性和观察到的结果，为文献做出贡献。