One Massachusetts family is calling on Concord Public Schools to take action after their teenage son was mocked and harassed because of his race. In one instance, one of the white children created a makeshift whip and threatened to lash him, saying they should do it “because he’s Black,” the family claims.
After enduring taunts and assaults for more than a year, the 13-year-old’s parents are now taking a stand in hopes of putting an end to the abuse he’s suffered as a student at Concord Middle School.
The family resides in a small Boston suburb with a population of nearly 18,000 people. Among the residents, 83 percent are white, while 4.2 percent self-identify as Black, 4.8 percent as Asian, and 5.9 percent as Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census.
Emmy Odunze, the boy’s father, has reported his son’s mistreatment by classmates on three separate occasions to school officials. However, despite assurances from the school’s principal, Justin Cameron, about disciplinary action, no meaningful resolution has occurred.
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The most recent incident transpired during the teen’s participation in a football game with other kids.
“Look, that’s the monkey in the middle,” a white child yelled to his friends, according to the Boston Globe.
The taunting quickly escalated when the boy grabbed a makeshift whip and allegedly said, “Hey, let’s whip [Odunze’s son] because he’s Black.”
The father states that the ringleader of the bigotry was still present at school on Friday, Oct. 6. According to him, the principal mentioned that the child was in school but was facing an in-school suspension.
One of the first acts of violence Odunze’s son endured occurred when a white girl at the school slapped him across the face, just a day after actor Will Smith assaulted Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, the family told The Globe.
The young man’s father, who has since retained legal representation,…
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