“You see, it’s a crime to act white, or it’s a crime to be white,” the uncle testified.
Two Williamsburg County students and members of their family havereached a $150,000 settlement in what may be the first Title VI lawsuitbased on claims of intra-racial discrimination in South Carolina publicschools.
Lawrence “Larry” Kobrovsky, a Charleston attorney who focuseshis practice on constitutional law and school issues, said the partiessettled after a female student’s claims of sexual and racial harassmentat a Salters school went to trial in U.S. District Court in Florence.
The suit was one of two against the Williamsburg CountySchool District and school officials. The other suit, filed on behalfof the student’s uncle, was dismissed.
Both students were members of an African-American family thatshared a home in rural Williamsburg County. Both attended publicschools at the time of the alleged harassment.
The younger student initially asserted nine causes of action (For acting white. — Ed), but only the Title VI claim went to trial.
She claimed she suffered emotional trauma because she wassubjected to racial and sexual slurs at an elementary school in Saltersduring September and November 2006. She had to receive home instructionfor the rest of the school year, according to an amended complaint.
Despite complaints, school administrative staff and districtofficials allowed the abuse to “escalate to the point where [she] wasphysically threatened, assaulted and battered,” the suit alleged.