ACLU lawsuit says Georgia school district ignored racism targeting black students WSB-TV Channel 2

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EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (AP) — Four black students sued a Georgia school district in federal court on Friday, claiming teachers and administrators violated their civil rights by fostering an environment of longstanding and ongoing racial discrimination .

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a civil suit in US District Court against the Effingham County School District in southeast Georgia.

The anonymous teenage complainants, identified only by their initials, allege that school officials ignored complaints from white students casually using racial slurs, and at times made black students feel like bullies. troubles for reporting them.

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A black student identified only as NT said that after posting his reaction on social media to racist comments from his white peers, his high school’s athletic director blamed black students for white student language, saying students whites used racial epithets because black students used racial language. when they talk to each other, according to the trial.

A black girl identified only as HL says that in September 2020 she started crying after white students in her class mockingly re-enacted the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, which she recorded with her cellphone.

The lawsuit says the white students were removed from school and did not return until the following school year. But it also states that the school principal told HL to delete the video from his phone and told him not to send it to anyone else.

Another black girl, identified as GL in the lawsuit, says high school administrators sent her home for wearing red braids in her hair, with one saying you know that’s not a natural color for your species. While the school’s dress code requires students to keep their hair in natural colors, according to the lawsuit, white girls were allowed to attend with hair dyed purple and green.

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Effingham County School Superintendent Yancy Ford on Friday declined to comment on the lawsuit allegations. But Ford denied that his school district allows racial discrimination.

Regardless of the details alleged, the Effingham County School District does not condone racism or discrimination in any way, Ford said in an emailed statement. And I will continue to work to ensure that all students in the district can enjoy a learning environment free from the negative impacts of racial bias, prejudice, and discrimination.

About 65,000 people live in rural and suburban communities in Effingham County west of Savannah. The county’s population is 80% white and 16% black, according to the US Census Bureau.

Effingham’s high school sports teams compete as rebels with a Confederate soldier mascot. The lawsuit says the district allowed students to wear clothing decorated with Confederate flags but banned Black Lives Matter t-shirts.

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