Full Breakdown
New Mexico Attorney General Report Highlights Disproportionate Discipline in Gallup-McKinley County Schools
7/12/2026, 9:26:31 PM
Investigation Findings
The New Mexico Department of Justice released a report titled *“Forced Out: How Exclusionary and Disparate Disciplinary Practices at Gallup-McKinley County Schools Rob Students of Instructional Time”* on Thursday, July 2. The analysis shows that students in the district lose “at least twice as many” instructional days to out-of-school suspensions compared with peers statewide. The disparity widens for Native American and Hispanic students, who miss “roughly eight to 10 times” and “three to four times” as many school days as white students, respectively. Across the state, the average absentee student missed about 215 hours in the 2024-25 school year—nearly one-fifth of the required 1,140 instructional hours.
Background & Context
The investigation began in 2023 after media reports linked the district to New Mexico’s unusually high Native student expulsion rates. The probe follows the landmark Yazzie/Martinez educational-equity lawsuit, which prompted a $2.6 billion state investment aimed at improving instructional time for underserved groups. A March report from the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission also urged the district to adopt culturally appropriate disciplinary practices.
Official Responses
Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office concluded that the district “appears to have made progress” in reducing expulsions and law-enforcement referrals, but emphasized the continued loss of instructional time. A district spokesperson, speaking for Superintendent Jvanna Hanks, said the district “is aware of and has been reviewing the New Mexico Department of Justice report and appreciates NMDOJ’s work to help ensure all students are treated fairly, supported appropriately and able to remain engaged in learning.”
Criticism & Opposition
Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board President Kevin Mitchell contested the findings, noting that “the majority of the district’s disciplinary actions involve Native American students because the majority of its students are Native.” He highlighted that “nearly 54 percent of Gallup’s population is Indigenous” and suggested that a small number of chronic offenders can skew district-wide rates. Mitchell added that the board has “consistently fought for quality education for all students” and that “this work does not end with one report or meeting.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out we’re talking about 89% Native American population throughout the whole district…it could be a little higher,” — Kevin Mitchell, President, Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education
- “‘You guys are disciplining Native Americans more than other students.’ Well, of course — it’s all we have.” — Kevin Mitchell, President, Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education
- “Gallup-McKinley County Schools is aware of and has been reviewing the New Mexico Department of Justice report and appreciates NMDOJ’s work to help ensure all students are treated fairly, supported appropriately and able to remain engaged in learning,” — District spokesperson, to Source NM
