Students At Kansas High School Outraged Over The Suspension Of Black Girl Called Racial Slurs And Attacked By White Student

Students at a high school in Kansas are upset at the administration’s response to a fight between a white male student and a Black female student, alleging that the school has a history of ignoring racist incidents.

According to the Kansas City Defender, the girl, identified as “Bre,” was hospitalized after being assaulted during the fight at Shawnee Mission East High School. 

The 15-year-old male student, who has not been named, faces charges for causing bodily harm after allegedly punching “Bre” and breaking her nose. The incident, captured on camera, shows the boy using racial slurs, calling the Black student the N-word before physically assaulting her. Both students were suspended.

About 100 students walked out of class on Monday in protest of Bre’s five-day suspension, accusing the school of punishing the victim for defending herself against the assault.

The male student reportedly also faces separate felony charges connected to a case in June. He has been charged in that case with two felonies and a misdemeanor, including aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and battery, The Kansas City Star reported.

In a video posted by The Defender, it appears that Bre was in an argument with two white female students about using racial slurs and calling Black students “slaves.” They walked away from each other, but the male student got involved. 

He’s heard saying to Bre, “Shut the f**k up.” She demanded to know who said that. He turns while hurling the N-word, charges toward her, and physically assaults her. Bre hits the other student back, and they exchange punches until a teacher separates the two. 

The school issued the following statement in an email to parents, as shared by The Defender: “As a school and a community, we know that for students to learn, they must first feel safe and supported. Shawnee Mission East teachers, administrators, and staff will continue to do our absolute best to help every student who enters our school feel safe and supported so they can be at their very best…the words we use matter. Racially charged language, insults, and slurs will not be tolerated in our school.”

Students have widely criticized school administrators for their response, claiming that they have failed to address both systemic racism at the school and the recent incident. They say there is a history of racism at the school, which is often ignored, downplayed, and dismissed by officials, and they want that to change.