What’s the big deal? On Thursday December 19. 2024, the Atlantic Black Star published this headline, “Ape!’ : Michigan Parents Sue District After White Peers Hurl Vile Slurs at Black Student and Bus Driver Chases Him Yelling Racial Insults—School Claims ‘No Policy Against Harassment’.”
Two Black middle school students were racially harassed by their white peers with insults like “n*gger,” “monkey,” and “ape” and told to “go pick some cotton,” but when their parents complained to school administrators, they were told there was no policy in place forbidding racial harassment.
Now, the parents have filed a lawsuit against the Portage Public School District in Michigan, which lists four defendants, including a school bus driver accused of racially harassing one of the Black students by calling him “Donkey Kong” while chasing him on foot.
The lawsuit filed last week by Adam Baylis III and his wife, Nakia S. Baylis, states the parents have since removed their children from Portage West Middle School, who are identified only as “A.B.” and “G.B.” in the lawsuit.
But the racial harassment continues against other Black students within the Portage Public School District, the claim states.
“The issue of racial harassment appears embedded in the culture of the Portage Public School District. Since the removal of A.B. and G.B., the Baylis family has continued to receive calls from other Black parents in the district, seeking guidance on how to address the racism their children are also experiencing. These parents share the growing concern that the administration’s failure to confront racial harassment leaves their children exposed to ongoing harm.”
“Today’s children are being sheltered to the point that I don’t see how they will ever get through life.”, said Thomas Robb, the National Director of the Knights Party of the Ku Klux Klan, based in Harrison, Arkansas. “I’m sure there are plenty of schools throughout America that White children are the minority. I’m also sure that these White children are subject to verbal abuse as well, but we don’t see White parents suing schools over words. Are these racial slurs? Maybe to some but everyone has free speech. Maybe these White kids shouldn’t be harassing the black kids, but the facts are that children can be cruel. When is the last time you heard of White parents suing their childs school because a black kid called him a ‘cracker’? Maybe its happened, but I don’t recall of ever coming across any articles like that. Children need to see the ‘bad’ side of life, or else they will go through life with constant ‘hurt feelings’. We see this in today’s culture. Everyone is too sensitive of even words, everyday you see in the media where someone is hurt over something that someone else said. It’s ridiculous, as long as there is no physical harm being done, let kids be kids.”
