Discipline by their peers

Central Gwinnett High School started a discipline diversion program Tuesday where about 40 students will decide the proper punishment for classmates who have admitted to offenses such as disrupting class, skipping school or bullying. The students will serve as defense attorneys, prosecutors, the judge and the jury. The punishment will range from community service to making an apology to writing an essay, said Dana Pagan, the project’s manager. In this photo, Pagan discusses how the court system works with a group of students. School officials hope the court program will encourage students to behave more responsibly and be accountable to their classmates. Central Gwinnett is the first Gwinnett school to have such a program.