The mother of a Black student with Haitian roots is suing her son’s school district for the taunts he received in school. According to her lawsuit, school officials did nothing to stop the racist and homophobic comments hurled his way in the majority White school he attends.
Bullying incidents
According to the lawsuit filed in federal court against the school district and the principal, the bullying and abuse he suffers is because of his race and perceived sexuality. He has been called racial slurs to get a raise out of him for the last two years. This abuse happened not only in person but also over text messages.
The lawsuit alleged specific instances, including one when the 14-year-old was bullied on the bus and his reactions were videotaped. The bullying seemed to be depressing the victim at home and agitating him at school.
Reporting
According to his mother, she sent the school principal screen shots of the abusive texts her son was receiving, but it continued unchecked for a number of months. In late 2019, when the boy was bullied on the bus and he told his bus driver, who then told the boy’s teacher. He also told his mother, who came to meet the principal to discuss recent bullying events. According to her, the principal’s response then shocked her as he did not seem to be taking the matter seriously.
Bullying and abuse should be taken seriously and reported according to the school procedure. When abuse continues unchecked, it can have a detrimental effect on the victim and have an impact on the rest of their life. If a victim’s reporting has gone unheeded, it can be beneficial to consult an experienced attorney to understand what steps they should be taking next.