For decades, Black students have been disproportionately disciplined in schools at much higher rates than White students and other student groups. In several Southwest school districts this phenomenon manifests as differential application of disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) referrals for Black students. Zero tolerance policies and implicit bias fuel exclusionary discipline such as suspensions and expulsion. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore the thoughts and perceptions of Black students about their DAEP placements and how their lives were impacted after graduation. Critical race theory (CRT) was used to frame this study. A purposive sample of 12 Black high school graduates who had DAEP placements during their attendance and who had graduated within 5 years of the research were chosen to represent the population of similarly situated students. Data were collected using a survey and semi-structured interviews. The emergent themes issuing from the data included: teacher bias and negative personal beliefs about Black students; teacher bias and a lack of empathy and humanity toward Black students and how it alters their views about education, laws, rules, and attitudes and beliefs contribute to negative treatment of Black students; and how mistreatment adds to the high dropout rate of Black students. Four recommendations for practice were developed centering on training and cultural awareness. Recommendations for future research include studies centering on the effectiveness of discipline practices in educational contexts; the effectiveness of cultural diversity training programs for both teachers and administrators; the effectiveness of ongoing staff development and cultural sensitivity training that prepares all teacher and administrators to respect student at high levels; and disproportionality and exclusionary discipline practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]