Black Student Files Discrimination Complaint Against Melrose

Black Student Pushed Out from Melrose Public Schools Files Federal Discrimination Complaint

After years of racial bullying and mistreatment, a middle schooler left Melrose Public Schools 

Lawyers for Civil Rights filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) against the Melrose Public School District and Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School (MVMMS) for their failure to prevent a racially hostile school environment, which led to a Black student leaving the district altogether. The complaint was filed on behalf of David, a Black seventh grade student who was repeatedly called racial slurs and subjected to racial bias, which the school failed to investigate and act against. 

For his entire time at MVMMS, David experienced racial bullying without meaningful support or protection from Melrose administrators. The district is approximately 75% white, and David’s school is approximately 5.5% Black students. David was affiliated with the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO). Melrose accepts 117 students from METCO between kindergarten and 5th grade. 

Several instances of severe and pervasive racial bullying are outlined in the complaint, including:

• In April 2023, David was called the N-word at lunch by a white classmate;
• In September 2023, David was called the N-word at the library by students who proceeded to physically attack him;
• In January 2024, David was called the N-word over a group chat by a classmate; and 
• In January 2024, David was physically attacked near the entrance of the school by a student who called him the N-word.

The complaint outlines violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and requests that OCR immediately investigate Melrose as a district, and MVMMS specifically, to implement remedial and corrective action to address the widespread culture of racial bullying throughout the district

“My son was driven out of Melrose Public Schools and the METCO program by the unwillingness of the administrators to take racism seriously. He was repeatedly called racial slurs and the administration did nothing but blame and discipline him, and they should be held accountable. An investigation can’t take back the trauma David faced at a formative time in his life, but it can begin the process of ensuring Melrose is better for future Black students,” said Nita Holder, David’s mother.

“Melrose has a history of discrimination going back to 2015 when the Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation against them for similar patterns of disturbing racial bullying,” said Erika Richmond Walton, Litigation Fellow at Lawyers for Civil Rights. “Melrose did not learn its lesson after being monitored for years, and it continues to let racial bullying run rampant in their schools. Students like David should not have to flee Melrose schools.” 

The complaint against Melrose comes on the heels of a similar anti-Black pattern of bullying and harassment in Southwick. 

The Melrose complaint is available here.