Racially Bullied Students Withdraw Federal Civil Rights Complaints, Turn To State Officials For Enforcement Instead
In the wake of the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, two Black students who have been racially bullied at their schools have formally withdrawn their federal civil rights complaints, citing a lack of confidence in the federal government’s ability to protect them. Represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), the students have transferred and re-filed their complaints with the Massachusetts Attorney General. The students are calling upon the Massachusetts Attorney General to conduct civil rights enforcement, especially to fill in the gap left by the federal government’s retreat.
The Trump Administration’s ongoing erosion of civil rights enforcement within the U.S. Department of Education has created dangerous gaps in protections for students across the country. Students of color continue to face harassment, discrimination, and violence in their schools, with little recourse or meaningful intervention.
LCR is now urging the Massachusetts Attorney General to take immediate action in the face of this federal failure. The complaints transferred and re-filed by LCR include:
- Brookline: A Black student who was attacked by a white classmate who pinned him down with a knee to his neck while yelling “George Floyd, George Floyd.”
- Melrose: A Black middle school student who endured repeated identity-based bullying that escalated into a violent, racially motivated physical assault.
Racial bullying in Massachusetts schools is on the rise, with recent reports showing a troubling increase in incidents across districts. These cases are not isolated — they are part of a larger and persistent pattern of racial hostility in schools. Without decisive action, students who experience racial bullying may face long-term academic and psychological consequences, including disengagement from school, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression.
“It is critical that the State steps in to ensure that schools are protecting all students — without exception,” said Erika Richmond Walton, an LCR attorney representing the students. “Every day without intervention allows these districts to stand idly by while students of color are bullied. The damage inflicted by racial harassment doesn’t end when the school day does — it can reverberate across a child’s lifetime.”
“These families have courageously come forward,” added Mirian Albert, Senior Attorney at LCR, who represents the students. “The State must now step in where the federal government has failed and provide students and families with the relief and protection they deserve.”
LCR is calling on the Massachusetts Attorney General to conduct investigations, hold school districts accountable, and implement systemic reforms. This includes mandatory anti-discrimination training, stronger reporting systems, and trauma-informed support for students who have experienced identity-based harm.
LCR will continue to stand with students and families across the Commonwealth — demanding action, accountability, and justice.
