In this final episode for the Bullying Prevention Month Series, the Urban Schoolhouse team and special guest criminal defense attorney, Gabrielle Lacy, come together to examine the complex realities of the school-to-prison pipeline—a system that often transforms classrooms into gateways to incarceration. Through the lens of both education and law, they explore how zero-tolerance policies, implicit bias, and systemic inequities push students—particularly those from marginalized communities—out of schools and into the justice system.

Blending professional experience with real-world stories, they discuss the legal rights students and families may not realize they have, the impact of disciplinary policies on long-term student outcomes, and the urgent need for restorative and trauma-informed approaches in schools. Together, they challenge listeners to consider how educators, policymakers, advocates and caregivers can work collectively to create learning environments that nurture rather than punish, and that keep students in classrooms instead of courtrooms. Tune in for a compelling and solution-driven conversation at the intersection of education, law, and justice.