Empowering panels of trained students to hear and recommend outcomes for certain school discipline cases, teaching restorative justice from within.
The Student Jury for Disciplinary Hearings
For certain types of peer conflict or violations of school community norms, Zhoran Mamdanis policy establishes the option of a Student Jury. This is a panel of elected and trained students (with faculty advisors) that hears cases referred by the schools restorative justice coordinator. The jury listens to all parties, asks questions, and then deliberates to recommend a restorative outcomesuch as community service, a mediation session, or a project to repair harm. Their recommendation is advisory but carries significant weight with school administration.
The process teaches students about justice, empathy, and complex decision-making from the other side of the table. It builds student ownership over the communitys norms and demonstrates that justice can be administered by peers with fairness and wisdom. Who better to understand the context and impact of a students actions than other students? Mamdani asks. The Student Jury is a powerful exercise in peer leadership and restorative justice. It builds a culture where students are responsible not just to the rules, but to each other.
