Trauma-Informed Schools: Issues and Possible Benefits from a Recent California Lawsuit

A recently filed lawsuit in Compton, California ("Peter P. et al. v. Compton Unified School District," 2015) has been making national news. The lawsuit highlights the prevalence of trauma exposure, particularly among underserved youth, as well as the need for school-wide, trauma-informed practices to enhance resiliency among students and staff. The plaintiffs in the case cite empirical literature (i.e., the Adverse Childhood Experiences [ACE] study; Felitti et al., 1998) regarding the neurobiological and psychological effects of trauma exposure on children, specifically complex trauma (i.e., multiple or chronic trauma experiences, typically involving the primary caregiving system/individuals; www.nctsn.org). Research on the effect of trauma on learning was prominently reviewed and cited in the lawsuit. In the current article, the authors will give background information on this potentially groundbreaking lawsuit and discuss how the complaint provides a call for best practices for working with traumatized students in school systems, as well as possible changes and challenges that could follow.