The Kansas school district has been sued to court by a black student based on alleged racist action. It was reported that the student files the case against the district because she was told she could not be part of the dance team to represent her school on the grounds that she was too dark in complexion and her skin wouldn’t match the dance costumes to be used.
Camille Sturdivant, the student in question, went further to describe how she was racially discriminated against and given the outcast treatment after submitting her complain to the school district. She graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School in May 2018. Prior to her graduation, Sturdivant was one of the two black dancers on the Dazzlers team made up of 14 members in total. The case filed states that the team dance choreographer had referred to Sturdivant’s skin as too dark in 2017. It will be remembered that the team coach was put out of job for racial comments against Sturdivant via text messages to the dance choreographer.
The district, in an official statement, confirmed the principal seeing the text messages which were shown to her by Sturdivant. In effect, the coach lost her job that following day. In the statement, the district said part of its expectations is that staff treat students with the utmost respect, anything short of that would be taken up seriously. Despite all of this there was no mentioning of the other allegations stated in the lawsuit.
The victim said she had seen the text messages on the coach’s phone when she was saddled the responsibility of playing music for the dance team. She showed the messages to her parents who in turn showed them to the principal. This brought about the sacking of the coach which also implied she couldn’t have any contact with Sturdivant or any member of the team afterward. She flaunted this instruction as she was seen on the school property severally with members of the team.
Sturdivant also alleged that she and her parents were told that the banquet which was paid for by parents was canceled but on the same night it was reported that the coach and other team members, excluding the other black girl on the team, were seen dining at the County Club Plaza. Furthermore, the two black girls were the only ones not to were ribbons carrying the coach’s initials during their last performance, and were not allowed to be part of the dance team’s group photo afterward.
Other people named in the lawsuit asides the School district are the school principal, a teacher, and the parent of another member of the team.