The parents of two Black children have filed a lawsuit against their elementary school for ignoring claims of bullying and abuse, according to NBC News. The suit cites both verbal and physical abuse, as well as bullying from teachers. School officials say thereโs no evidence to prove these horrific allegations.
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According to the suit, the officials at North Pointe Elementary School in Houston, Tx. failed to handle incidents pertaining to racial discrimination, creating a โhostile environmentโ for the two children. Parents Chanda Jackson and Tatiawana Jackson detailed the brutal treatment of both their kids.
Read more on the suit from NBC News:
Filed in U.S. District Court in Galveston, the lawsuit alleges that on separate occasions in 2019, one of the victims, identified as โJohn Doe,โ was attacked by other students, including being choked, punched in the eye and tripped. It also says John Doe was โpunishedโ by an unnamed teacher who refused to let him use the restroom, causing the student to โwet his pantsโ on multiple occasions. The lawsuit alleges that white students were not given the same treatment.
The suit alleges that the other victim, identified as โJane Doe,โ was bullied and physically abused by students, including being slapped by a student, causing hearing loss, and bit on the hand by another student that led to her needing stitches.
The lawsuit also says one of Jane Doeโs teachers once removed Jane from her lunch table away from her friends and made her eat alone. Neither the student nor her parents were ever given an explanation for the isolation, according to the suit.
Leila Sarmecanic, general counsel for Clear Creek Independent School District told NBC News she was surprised by the allegations. She also said there were no formal complaints made to the school or school district about race discrimination.
โWe were really blindsided by the allegations because theyโre not substantiated by any evidence we have. We donโt discriminate against students on the basis of their race.โ
Parents send their children to school trusting theyโll come home safe. These allegations are a nightmare. These two children have suffered physical and emotional trauma no adult would even want to bear.
โSchools have a DUTY to protect all children, yet a Texas elementary school failed to care for its only 2 Black students โ who were slapped, punched, & even choked by other students! This schoolโs INACTION in the presence of mistreatment canโt go unpunished!โ tweeted civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump.
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