The New York Civil Liberties Union says school safety agents are showing a pattern of discrimination in the arrests of students at city public schools.

According to an analysis by the group, more than 96 percent of the 327 arrests in the first quarter of this year were of black or Latino students.

The NYCLU says police were 12 times more likely to arrest a black student than a white one.

Blacks only make up 31 percent of the student population and Latinos make up 40 percent.

"It tells us that instead of dealing with unruly kids' misbehavior in school with a trip to the principal's office, our schools are dealing with it with the police," said Donna Lieberman of the NYCLU. "We are sending the police in to treat our kids like criminal suspects which puts them right on the path from school to prison."

Data shows 555 summonses were issued between January and March, 71 percent of them for disorderly conduct.

The analysis is based on figures released by the NYPD's School Safety Division.

The police department released a brief statement Wednesday saying, "the arrests comport with the race of the victims."

The Department of Education did not commenting on the report Wednesday.