A new civil rights lawsuit against the largest school district in Oregon alleged that a 14-year-old Black student was subjected to “physical violence” and a “racially hostile” environment at her middle school.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on April 15 against the Portland Public School District and West Sylvan Middle School alleging the district “knowingly, or recklessly fostered and condoned a racially hostile environment at West Sylvan” that impacted its Black students.
The complaint summarizes multiple violent and racist incidents that a 14-year-old Black female student, identified as N.W., suffered between September 2022 and March 2023.
When N.W. first started school in September 2022, the suit states she “frequently and consistently” heard racial slurs used by white students.
Months later, in February, a white male student who saw her walking down the hallway “punched her in the face” and called her the N-word. Just one month after that, a group of students assaulted her.
N.W. is no longer a student at West Sylvan.
The suit alleges that the school division and the middle school “tolerate racist incidents between students, including an ongoing and pervasive daily use of racial slurs and epithets by the student body without objection or recourse by any employee.”
PPS was named in another lawsuit filed last January alleging that a group of white students attacked another Black student who was also enrolled at West Sylvan Middle School.
Attorney Kevin Brague, who filed both suits, said these students reported substantially similar experiences, yet there has been no accountability from district officials or school administrators.
“PPS will undoubtedly say, we have a policy that says ‘no racial discrimination’, which is great, but if it’s not enforced, PPS’ policy is frankly meaningless,” Brague said. “When they have a policy that is not enforced and becomes meaningless, they’re hurting children.”
