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Two Black middle school students faced racist insults, including "n*gger," "monkey," and "ape," and school administrators told their parents there was no policy forbidding racial harassment, according to a lawsuit.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Adam and Nakia Baylis, the parents of the two Black students identified as A.B. and G.B., filed a lawsuit against the Portage Public School District in Michigan, alleging several instances of racial harassment.
In one instance, a bus driver allegedly called one of the Black students "Donkey Kong" while chasing him on foot.
“On October 31, 2023, while trick-or-treating, A.B. was racially harassed by his school bus driver, Defendant Bob Hayworth,” the lawsuit states.
“Hayworth chased A.B. through the neighborhood, accusing him of taking too much candy from an unattended bucket and shouting racial slurs, including ‘Donkey Kong.’ A.B. fled, injuring his ankle in the process. This incident was recorded by one of A.B.’s peers.”
The lawsuit states the students received racist text messages starting in September 2023, including a photo of three Klansmen captioned: “3 K’s a Day Keeps the N*ggas Away.” Another photo showed a Klansman dangling a piece of fried chicken from a fishing pole, according to the lawsuit.
A third message showed a white student in blackface with the caption “I made myself into a n*gger," the lawsuit states. A photo of a monkey was also allegedly texted to G.B.
The parents said they met with middle school principal Jason Messenger and assistant principal Sidney Bailey, who “failed to take any meaningful action to stop the harassment, instead relying on informal, inadequate responses.”
“The administration admitted during the meeting that there were no specific policies in place to address racial harassment, as their policies primarily focused on issues such as staff misconduct, sexual harassment, and physical harm,” the lawsuit states.
“This lack of specific policies left both A.B. and G.B., as well as other students of color, vulnerable to ongoing harassment without adequate protection or clear processes for addressing such behavior.”
The family said they removed their children from the school and relocated to move them to a different one, “incurring significant financial and emotional burdens.”
“A.B. and G.B. have both suffered severe emotional and psychological harm due to the ongoing racial harassment. A.B. has worked closely with (child therapist) Ms. Shorter to address the trauma caused by the racial hostility, focusing on managing anxiety, depression and emotional regulation,” the lawsuit states.
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