Numbers 35:15
These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
The six cities were set apart as a refuge to which anyone who took the life of another person unintentionally might flee for safety. Their purpose was not escape from justice but protection for the unwitting offender until the case could be dealt with rightly. That same provision makes every school a place of safety for youth who are beset by temptation. There their wrongs are to be met with patience and wisdom, and justice is to be tempered and joined with mercy and compassion.