‘I Made Myself Into a N—er’: White Michigan Middle Schooler Painted Face Brown to Mock Black Students, Racial Harassment Lawsuit Says

Two Black middle school students were racially harassed by their white peers with insults like “n*gger,” “monkey,” and “ape” and told to “go pick some cotton,” but when their parents complained to school administrators, they were told there was no policy in place forbidding racial harassment. Now, the parents have& filed a lawsuit& against the Portage Public School District in Michigan, which lists four defendants, including a school bus driver accused of racially harassing one of the Black students by calling him “Donkey Kong” while chasing him on foot. The lawsuit filed last week by Adam Baylis III and his wife, Nakia S. Baylis, states the parents have since removed their children from Portage West Middle School, who are identified only as “A.B.” and “G.B.” in the lawsuit. Portage Public School District student in blackface with the caption “I made myself into a ni–er.” (Photo: Court documents) But the racial harassment continues against other Black students within the Portage Public School District, the claim states. “The issue of racial harassment appears embedded in the culture of the Portage Public School District. Since the removal of A.B. and G.B., the Baylis family has continued to receive calls from other Black parents...