Portage, MI—A Michigan school district is at the center of a federal lawsuit, with accusations that it failed to effectively intervene after two African American students were subjected to racial harassment by their peers. The lawsuit was filed on December 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan by Adam Baylis III and Nakia S. Baylis, the father and stepmother/legal guardian of the children, respectively.
Portage Public Schools, along with specific administrators, a bus driver, and a school counselor, have been named as defendants in the case. The allegations involve the students, who were enrolled at Portage West Middle School for the 2023-2024 academic year, receiving derogatory messages including racial slurs and stereotypes through text and social media.
Reportedly, the children were taunted with messages calling them the n-word, as well as “monkey” and “ape.” Additional messages urged them to “go pick some cotton” and included disturbing images such as a person in blackface and a depiction of a KKK member taunting a Black man with a piece of chicken. Documentation of these messages has been included in the court filings. The family contends they reported these incidents multiple times to school authorities who, according to the lawsuit, failed to take substantial corrective measures.
An incident on October 31, 2023, added to the family’s grievances when a bus driver, following accusations of a student taking too many candies from a bucket while trick-or-treating, allegedly chased the student through the neighborhood. During this pursuit, the bus driver reportedly hurled a racial slur likened to “Donkey Kong” at the student, who suffered an ankle injury from fleeing. The school’s response to this incident was reportedly non-existent.
Dr. Baylis repeatedly tried to engage with school administrators to halt the harassment but found the efforts fruitless, the lawsuit claims. This ongoing situation led the Baylis family to withdraw their children from the school and relocate, incurring considerable financial and emotional strain. The lawsuit paints a grim picture of a school culture permissive of racial harassment, a concern reportedly shared by other parents within the district.
In seeking justice, the lawsuit does not specify a sum but asks for an appropriate financial judgment for damages endured by the family. Furthermore, it demands a court injunction to enforce the establishment of adequate procedural safeguards and anti-harassment measures within the school district.
As the legal process is underway, representatives for Portage Public Schools have refrained from commenting on the ongoing lawsuit. Attempts to reach the bus driver for a response have so far gone unanswered.
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