"...11-year-old daughter was sexually harassed by classmates. School staff members resorted to restorative justice methods, like talking circles, to iron out the situation..."

...At a recent school board meeting during which restorative justice was discussed, a handful of parents said the effort prioritizes students who act inappropriately over those who follow the rules.

Melissa King, a mother of three MCPS students, said she believes in restorative justice in certain situations, but MCPS has attempted to apply the practices in instances in which traditional discipline, like detention, suspension or expulsion, are necessary.

King said her 11-year-old daughter was sexually harassed by classmates. School staff members resorted to restorative justice methods, like talking circles, to iron out the situation, she said.

“What is happening in our schools is that students who have been harmed are being coerced into Kumbaya sessions rather than being protected from the egregious atrocities of other students who are barely capable of the empathy for such a talk,” King said. “I am here to ask you to protect our children from other children whose offenses are so egregious and so dangerous that they cannot be solved with a chit-chat over McDonald’s nuggets.”

Vicki Reyes, a mother of two high school students, echoed King’s sentiments and said MCPS behavioral expectations have declined under restorative justice practices.

Leaders of the MCPS restorative justice effort, however, say not all schools have received training on how to successfully carry out restorative justice. While the staff at those schools are encouraged to defer until they receive training, they sometimes prematurely engage, they say...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/community-members-question-effectiveness-of-mcps-restorative-justice-practices/