Two black people are suing their former high school in New Jersey, accusing them of “extreme, outrageous and widespread” racism.
Accordingly Atlanta Black StarTwo former students of North Warren Regional High School have filed a lawsuit alleging racism, hostility and discrimination.
The plaintiffs are a black woman and a black man who were enrolled at the school in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Both former students were repeatedly called the N-word and other insults by their classmates and claim that the school administration failed to punish the cases of racism.
According to the lawsuit, a white student once grabbed a black woman’s backpack strap in the hallway and said, “Look, I have a slave on a leash.” The black plaintiff alleged that a white student called him a “slave” and hit him with a belt as he was changing in a locker room in October 2018.
Later that same year, students allegedly approached the black man and showed him a poster urging him to join the Ku Klux Klan, which they called the “Kool Kids Klub.” The black plaintiff also claimed that his teammates on the school’s wrestling team repeatedly called him names in front of the coach and other faculty members.
The Black student considered leaving school in 2020 but remained enrolled after classes had to be held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Black student quit the school’s wrestling team and left school in 2022 after his mother filed a HIB (harassment, intimidation, bullying) complaint.
Sarah Bilottithe district’s superintendent of schools at the time, later said six students were suspended for violating the school’s HIB rules. The student’s mother then met with the school’s administration and demanded that they develop a plan to prevent racist bullying at the school.
The then headmaster, Jeanne Duttallegedly said “no”.
In a statement on the lawsuit, Dutt, who is now superintendent of the North Warren Regional School District, said: “Out of respect for students’ right to confidentiality, we are not permitted to comment in the press. All we can say is that we respectfully disagree with the allegations and look forward to defending ourselves against them in court.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on the Black Information Network. Listen now on iHeartRadio App or click on HERE to be there live.
