While the “one-size-fits-all” zero tolerance policy was adopted by a large number of schools after the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, it has now become a way to punish students for infractions as large as carrying a weapon to school to as minor as being tardy to class. Between 1974 and 2000, K-12 public school suspensions increased 82.3% from 1.73 million to 3.1 million, with 95% of these suspensions being for nonviolent misbehavior. There is little evidence to support that the zero tolerance policy is making schools safer. Rather, the overuse of suspensions and expulsions can increase the likelihood of future criminal activity.