Black child suffers 'egregious' racial bullying at Brookline middle school, civil rights complaint asserts

A Black eighth-grader was subjected to racism and bullying, including an "egregious re-enactment of George Floyd's murder," at a middle school in Brookline, a civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education alleges.

The complaint details "escalating incidents of racial bullying, including the use of racial epithets and physical assault," according to a statement released Wednesday by Lawyers for Civil Rights. On Monday, the group filed the complaint against Amos A. Lawrence School on behalf of the student — referred to in the federal filing as M.C. — and the student's parents.

In the most recent incident of harassment, the complaint alleges the child — who is one of the few Black students in his grade — was on the ground when a white student placed his knee on M.C.'s neck while repeatedly yelling "George Floyd." The complaint further asserts M.C. was called racist names, including "cotton picker."

The incidents were repeatedly reported to school leaders, but "the perpetrators were never disciplined," the attorneys wrote in the statement.

Brookline Superintendent Linus Guillory said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that the district was reviewing the complaint with its counsel, and the school system "condemns hatred and racism in all of its forms."

"Racism and discrimination run contrary to the values of our school district," Guillory wrote. "The Public Schools of Brookline is committed to equal access to high-quality education for all students, and our Office of Educational Equity works closely with faculty, staff and administration to ensure that the district's policies and practices are fair and provide opportunities to ensure that every student, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or economic status, has an equal chance to participate, succeed and grow in Brookline."

Brookline town officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“I want justice — not just for my child, but for every other student. I want everyone to collectively do better,” said M.C.'s father, Ricardo Henry, in the statement. “Brookline schools have a culture of subjecting Black students to an unsafe learning environment. School administrators need to be held accountable."

In its press statement, Lawyers for Civil Rights said the re-enactment of Floyd's murder was "both a physical assault and an attack on M.C.'s racial identity" and "was hurtful, humiliating, and traumatizing for M.C." Floyd's 2020 murder at the hands of Minneapolis officers sparked protests against racism in policing across the nation.

"Racial bullying in our schools is unacceptable," senior attorney for Lawyers for Civil Rights Mirian Albert said in the statement. "Every child is entitled to a safe, inclusive environment free from discrimination. We must hold our educational institutions accountable and take immediate action to ensure justice and equity in education. Our children’s futures depend on our unwavering commitment to these principles."

The statement added this was the fourth civil rights complaint the attorneys had filed in the past two months related to racial bullying in Massachusetts schools. The other cases involved students in Southwick and Melrose.\

With reporting from WBUR's John Bender

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that town officials — not school officials — had not yet responded to requests for comment.