BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. – A string of racist incidents in Bloomfield Hills schools has prompted a $150 million lawsuit and a new protest by teachers and students.
Hateful messages have been written on Bloomfield Hills High School walls that include slurs and threats against students of color. Last week, students walked out of the classroom to protest the racism.
On Friday, many of those same students were joined by teachers for a sit-in demanding more action from the district. The protest comes as a new lawsuit was filed, calling for $150 million in damages to be awarded to students of color.
Read: Student files $150M racial discrimination lawsuit against Bloomfield Hills School District
Parents of a 15-year-old student filed the lawsuit and hope the federal government will get involved. An emotional press conference was held Friday (Nov. 19). They’re suing the high school principal, the superintendent and the district over a string of racist messages.
“They turned a deaf ear and they turned their backs on our children,” parent Cedric McCarrall said.
There have been reports of messages that call to kill Black students, open use of racist expletives in school and other racist incidents. There is one incident where a teacher is accused of hanging a black doll from the school’s second floor to demonstrate gravity.
The lawsuit is calling for civil rights, class action status and $150 million in damages. The parents also want the U.S. Department of Justice to send Federal Marshals to patrol the schools to prevent more incidents.
Bloomfield Hills police said they are investigating the incidents and are asking for any tips.
See the entire lawsuit in the document below: