Black student was ‘shocked and scared’ when teacher used racist slur in class, suit says
A Catholic school teacher repeated their use of a racist slur in class, then retaliated against a Black student who had complained to administrators, a Kentucky lawsuit says.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, Oct. 30, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, accuses the Diocese of Covington and St. Joseph Catholic Church of race discrimination and negligence.
In a statement to WCPO, the Diocese of Covington said “Bishop (John) Iffert is eager for any opportunity to condemn racism.
“The teaching of the Catholic Church is clear,” the statement read. “Racism is a moral evil. ... The Catholic Church and the Diocese of Covington work to oppose and root out racism wherever we encounter this radical evil, especially in our Christian minds and hearts.”
The student, who was not named in the lawsuit, said her eighth-grade English teacher at St. Joseph’s Middle School was the “biggest bully at her school,” according to the lawsuit.
Jamir Davis, the attorney for the family, said the alleged discrimination began in March, when a classmate called her a slur used against Black people, Davis said. The accused student was not disciplined, the lawsuit says, and the bullying and harassment continued.
The lawsuit claims the Black student — the only student of her race in her class — was singled out by her teacher in April.
“(The teacher) explained to the entire class that when she grew up her parents would say the word all the time,” according to the lawsuit. “(The teacher) then explained to the students that nowadays you need to ‘be careful who you say (racist slur) around because you will be ex’ed out of society.”
The repeated use of the word left the student “shocked and scared” the lawsuit says.
After the student and her parents spoke with another faculty member and administrators about the issue, she was allegedly retaliated against multiple times.
The teacher told the student she should not be offended because she looked Hispanic, according to the lawsuit. The teacher is also accused of giving the student an intimidating lecture and refused the student’s opportunity to participate in communion at the Catholic school.
“(The student) has flashbacks of the incidents and has suffered mental anguish, anxiety, depression, shame, fear and a whole host of other emotions,” according to the lawsuit.
Davis said the diocese and church failed to take any action against the teacher. The student now attends another school, the Northern Kentucky Tribune reported.
“The inaction of the school system is almost worse than the action of the teacher,” Davis told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “There is no doubt that the incidents outline in the complaint happened. But the school did nothing.”
The civil lawsuit seeks a jury trial and undisclosed monetary damages.
Covington is in northern Kentucky across the state’s border with Cincinnati, Ohio.
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