MELROSE, Mass. — Melrose school officials failed to help a 12-year-old middle schooler who was the target of verbal and physical racial abuse, according to a civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education Monday.
The Black student at Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School was forced to leave the school district after being called the N-word several times since April 2023 and was allegedly attacked on school grounds multiple times, the complaint filed on behalf of the student by Lawyers for Civil Rights of Boston stated.
The complaint alleges the slur was hurled at the student in the lunchroom in April 2023 by a white classmate, outside the library in September 2023 by one white student who attacked alongside other students, and then over a group chat in by a white student, who later attacked him near the school’s entrance this past January.
School officials repeatedly ignored the allegations when the student and his family approached them, the complaint alleges. The family says the school instead punished him for being in fights, leaving them no choice but to pull out of the school system.
“My son was driven out of Melrose Public Schools and the METCO program by the unwillingness of the administrators to take racism seriously,” said the student’s mother, Nita Holder. He was repeatedly called racial slurs and the administration did nothing but blame and discipline him, and they should be held accountable. An investigation can’t take back the trauma David faced at a formative time in his life, but it can begin the process of ensuring Melrose is better for future Black students.”
Melrose Public School was made aware of the complaint on Monday.
“We look forward to cooperating with the Office of Civil Rights to provide more information about the steps that the District took to address these incidents described in this complaint. We take any allegations of individual or systemic discrimination very seriously in Melrose Public Schools, and we are committed to fostering a safe and equitable educational environment for all,” said Melrose interim Superintendent John Macero.
Only 5.5% of Melrose’s student population is Black, according to Lawyers for Civil Rights.
“Melrose has a history of discrimination going back to 2015 when the Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation against them for similar patterns of disturbing racial bullying,” said Erika Richmond Walton, Litigation Fellow at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “Melrose did not learn its lesson after being monitored for years, and it continues to let racial bullying run rampant in their schools. Students like David should not have to flee Melrose schools.”
The complaint says the middle school assistant principal was made aware the student was called the N-word in April but declined the mother’s request for mediation. Later in September, when the student was allegedly called the N-word and attacked by two students, the school is accused of treating the Black student as the instigator and restrained him.
The student was again treated as the wrongdoer after being attacked in January, the complaint alleges. The school subjected the student to an “emergency removal,” temporarily banning the student from school for up to two days.
Melrose began to investigate the allegations after the student transferred to Boston Public Schools this past winter, the complaint says. The boy’s mother did not participate, citing concerns the process would not be unbiased.
The complaint seeks to “implement remedial and corrective action to address the widespread culture of racial bullying throughout the district.”
The full complaint is viewable below:
Melrose Civil Right Education Complaint by Boston 25 Desk on Scribd
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