Students suspended from Coosa High School after a protest are suing the school district and board of education in Floyd County, alleging school leaders ignored complaints of racial intimidation and denied black students’ rights to free speech.
The lawsuit alleges the school district enabled “overt bigotry and animosity by some white students and teachers against African American students.” Attorney Harry Daniels said the school suspended students after a silent protest during class breaks. Administrators allegedly told students to turn shirts that said, “I love the skin I’m in #Melanin,” inside out, or they would face suspension.
The plaintiffs, including some students’ mothers, asked for their discipline records to be expunged and demanded an injunction to block the school district from selectively punishing students because of their speech.
