An outraged parent brought a federal civil rights lawsuit against a powerful school district on Sept. 10 after learning her daughter allegedly was called the N-word and “mentally ill” by her math teacher a year ago.
Amica Richardson says that Ellis Middle School in the Chicago suburb of Elgin, Illinois, violated her daughter’s civil rights under state law and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She is bringing six charges against a female staff member and the school district — including violations of the Equal Educational Opportunity Act and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to a lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star.
The alleged incident happened on Sept. 12, 2023, just one week into the 2023-2024 school year.
Richardson claims the middle school math teacher aggressively addressed her 11-year-old daughter with racial slurs, humiliating her in front of her peers. The teacher used the n-word and mocked the sixth grader as being “mentally ill,” the complaint says.
According to the court document, her daughter has an Individualized Education Plan (or IEP) intended to ensure that children with an identified disability or special needs get the support they need.
Instead, she got verbal abuse and racial slurs. Richardson spoke to local news outlets two days after filing the suit about what happened.
“She walked into the classroom, and the teacher immediately got into her face, and saying, ‘What should you be called? What should I address you as? The N-word or Black?” recalled the mother.
Understandably concerned, Richardson kept her daughter home from school for a few weeks, and when she returned, the teacher was no longer working at the school, she stated at a news conference. Elgin School District has not confirmed if the teacher was fired, citing privacy laws.
The family’s civil rights attorney, Jack Casciato, claims the teacher’s alleged harassment had a snowball effect, leading to other students bullying the preteen.
“She was called the N-word, it’s been confirmed by six statements by other students in the class, but now leading to bullying because students see it as the right thing to do,” he said at the press conference.
The complaint noted the “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and humiliation” the girl suffered after the alleged incident and stated she “continues to suffer substantial damages, both compensatory and general.”
Though Richardson’s daughter is still attending Ellis Middle School, she spoke about the long-term negative impact of the interaction.
“She just don’t want to be Black anymore,” she said, shaking her head. “She don’t want to go to school. She just don’t feel comfortable there.”
The school district, known as U-46, won’t comment on the lawsuit but issued a statement to ABC7.
“School district U-46 does not endorse or tolerate any use of epithets of any kind, nor does the school district endorse or tolerate any disparaging remarks or slurs. Our priority remains the well-being and education of our students.”
