A parent in Brentwood, California, is suing his child’s school district, claiming that a male teacher made racially charged comments directed at his daughter.
A man identified as Shawn B. in court papers filed a suit against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), accusing the teacher of saying “black people aren’t smart” and suggesting unarmed teen Michael Brown “got what he deserved” when he was shot and killed by Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson, reports CBS LA.
The documents say Shawn B.’s daughter is under the age of 18 and attends Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Magnet Center. The suit also says the young girl is biracial, half black and half white.
The father says the unsettling comments were made by 8th grade history teacher Steven Carnine during a discussion on racial stereotypes the day after Martin Luther King Day.
The lawsuit claims Carnine said “Black people are judged for not being smart because they are not smart. A lot of them are just athletes.” It also alleges the teacher went on to add that if black men were walking behind him, he would “be scared and think they are either going to steal from me or hurt me.”
After reporting the comments to the school’s principal, the court documents claim little to nothing was done. Principal Christopher Perdigao allegedly told the father Carnine was “old school,” and Assistant Principal Thomas Iannucci allegedly said they would investigate, but the family heard nothing back.
The family claims Carnine made more comments, even alleging the teacher said “people didn’t like Lincoln because he was a (N-word) lover.”
There is only one other black student in his daughter’s class out of roughly 30 kids. The suit claims Carnine glared at them while making the alleged offensive and racially charged comments.