July 9th 2024.
A family has come forward to share their son's distressing experience with racism at his school in Connecticut. Despite the family's decision to leave the state due to the incident, the school has denied any occurrence of racist bullying.
According to reports from the Atlanta Black Star, the 14-year-old student was subjected to racist messages, photos, and even sexually explicit content by a group of 10 students at Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School. As soon as school and state officials were informed of this, they launched an investigation.
During the investigation, it was discovered that there were numerous offensive messages, including some from a Snapchat group called "Ku Klux Klan." The messages contained slurs and derogatory remarks about the teenager, using the n-word multiple times.
In one particular instance, a student added the boy to the racist group chat just to tell him that he belonged in a "monkey exhibit." Another message read, "Hey n—. U should be in the monkey exhibit. U mom should too."
The harassment reportedly began after the school's celebration of Black History Month, where students were learning about slavery. The abuse continued for several months until the boy's father randomly checked his phone and found the messages.
The parents immediately approached the school administrators to report the racist bullying. However, despite launching an investigation on May 31, the superintendent downplayed the seriousness of the situation.
According to the boy's father, the educator brushed it off as "kids just playing." It's worth noting that the school belongs to a district where the majority of students, 88%, are white, according to statewide data.
"I immediately stood up and told her directly, 'If you don't see a problem, then you're the problem,' and I walked out," the father said.
Unfortunately, the parents have not received any updates from the school regarding the investigation, and they still have no idea if any of the involved students faced consequences. With no disciplinary action or police report, the father feels let down by both the school and law enforcement.
"I wasn't surprised," he said. "The system is not designed for Black people. It's more of a disappointment and hurt that in 2024, people still think that this kind of behavior is acceptable."
As a result of the traumatic experience, the young boy will complete the rest of his eighth-grade year online and undergo racial trauma therapy. The local NAACP chapter and Black Lives Matter leaders have deemed the racist bullying a hate crime. The Connecticut State Police are also involved in the case, and the hate crimes unit is working on it.
In other news, the Ohio House has passed the CROWN Act, which aims to prohibit hair discrimination in public schools. This is a step towards ensuring that all students, regardless of their race, are treated with respect and dignity.
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