Beech Grove parents sue school board member for defamation over theft incident
The parents of three Beech Grove high school students are suing a Beech Grove school board member for defamation after they say the board member falsely accused their sons of theft.
The lawsuit against board member Rick Skirvin came after an incident in mid-August in which the parents say Skirvin falsely accused the three students of stealing candy from a local Walgreens.
Joseph Williams, the attorney representing the parents, told IndyStar that the parents of the three Black students filed a defamation suit because they want an acknowledgment that Skirvin’s behavior is unacceptable.
“We want our kids to be kids and we want our kids to be able to go buy candy on a Saturday afternoon without having to fear that someone’s going to follow them, take pictures of them, and turn them into the school board for crimes they didn’t commit,” Williams said.
More on the Beech Grove incident: Encounter between Black teens and Indiana school official stirs outrage
The parents said Skirvin’s actions echoed those of similar incidents of racial profiling of Black children and men that have sometimes led to their death or being injured.
Skirvin, who is white, did not have an immediate comment as of Friday afternoon, saying that he was consulting his lawyer.
After information about the alleged theft landed on the desk of the Beech Grove superintendent, the parents of the three students brought up the incident during a September school board meeting, asking that the district investigate Skirvin and that he resign from office.
When later asked about the incident by IndyStar, Skirvin said that he rejects accusations of any wrongdoing and did not witness the crime himself but was passing along information to the school.
Skirvin has served for nearly 17 years on the school board and is currently the Republican candidate for Beech Grove mayor.
IndyStar reporter John Tufts contributed to this report.
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
Caroline’s reporting is made possible by Report for America and Glick Philanthropies. As part of its work in Marion County, Glick Philanthropies partners with organizations focused on closing access and achievement gaps in education.
Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of the reporter’s salary during their time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beech Grove parents sue school board member over theft allegation
