‘Relied on Racist… Stereotypes’: Massachusetts Black Girl Suspended from School for Putting Hair In Ponytail After Staff Saw It as a Symbol of ‘Aggression,’ Lawsuit Says

Attorneys for two Black girls at a Massachusetts high school have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, claiming the students were “relentlessly targeted” during the 2023-2024 school year by racial bullying and harassment while officials looked the other way and never held their peers accountable.& Instead of confronting the pervasive culture of racism, the school’s front office frequently targeted the victims for punishment, including an instance where staff called the police on one of the sisters over a minor altercation, the suit, obtained by Atlanta Black Star alleges. The complaint calls for a federal investigation into the “racially hostile and unsafe environment” at Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School, where only 4.7 percent of the student body identifies as Black, according to the filing. From to right: Kamora and Melody Dabney say they faced racist bullying at Millbury Memorial Junior and Senior High schools in Millbury, Massachusetts. (Photos: Millbury Memorial Senior High website/Family Photo) The sisters, ages 13 and 16, allege they were repeatedly targeted with racial slurs by white students, including being called “monkey,” the N-word, and subjected to degrading comments like “Black as f–k,” “ugly,” and “too dark.”& On social media, one of the sisters was told to “go...