A school district in Washington state has passed a new policy that critics say encourages administrators to factor in race when disciplining students.

The Clover Park School District board approved the new policy on a 3-2 vote on March 14, over the objections of board members who expressed concerns that it was ill-conceived.

The district in the suburbs of Tacoma will now use ‘culturally responsive discipline’ that encourages school staff to impose disciplinary policies that ‘may be adapted to individual student needs in a culturally responsive manner.’

Critics say the new approach is in effect a race-based disciplinary policy that will encourage harsher or lighter punishments based on a student’s race, with white students being disciplined more severely.