Black Students Allegedly Faced Severe Racism In Michigan Schools

Parents of five Black elementary and middle school students have filed a lawsuit against the Livingston County school district in Michigan, alleging the students faced “severe, pervasive, and persistent” racism. 

The suit claims the students of Pathfinder Middle School and Navigator Upper Elementary School in rural Michigan were allegedly referred to by the n-word, “monkeys,” and “cotton pickers,” along with other derogatory slurs. Filed against district Superintendent Rick Todd and principals Janet McDole and Lori Sandula, the parents are accusing the administrators of looking the other way after an alleged repeated pattern of white students mocking Black children took place.

In one incident, the district allegedly refused to punish the harassing children “out of fear of labeling them a ‘racist,’ while the harassed child was suspended for two days.” The attorney representing the parents, Jon Marko, released a statement saying the district’s failure to protect the students, all aged as young as 11, pushed racism to the forefront. “Any school district has a duty and obligation to look out for the welfare and wellbeing of its students,” Marko said. 

“…As a consequence, racism continues to permeate throughout the school district. No parent should be scared to send a child to school for fear of racial harassment.”

Several incidents of harassment were filed in the suit. At Pathfinder, one student identified as S.C. was allegedly physically assaulted, called racial slurs, including the n-word and “monkey,” and told she didn’t belong. The student hid in the hallways until the instigators went to class to avoid them. As a result, S.C. was repeatedly written up due to lateness. 

According to CBS News, a second student reported the alleged harassment of an Indian student by white students asking if they “could put a red dot on their forehead.” After witnessing the incident, the parents of the second Michigan student made a report to Sandula and Todd on Dec. 9, 2021.

Approximately two months later, that same alleged student was involved in an altercation over racial harassment and suspended. After the parent scheduled a meeting with the administrators, it was canceled and never happened. However, the racist comments carried on throughout the rest of the year and into 2023. 

At Navigator Upper Elementary, the third plaintiff said a note was passed around with an “N-word pass” on its message, suggesting kids had a pass to say the N-word.” A teacher intervened and gave the note to the principal. While the school district claims an investigation was going to take place, the third student’s parents were never notified, prompting the racial slurs to continue toward the student. 

McDole allegedly told the student’s father that “she did not want to bring negative attention to the situation or for the children to be labeled racist” when he inquired about why he was never contacted. 

The Michigan school district currently has 2,332 students enrolled, with 92.3% identifying as white. The suit alleges the schools violated Title VI because they “effectively caused, encouraged, accepted, tolerated, or failed to correct a hostile environment, based on race, of which it had actual or constructive notice.”

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