Black father sues Massachusetts school district after son’s suicide attempt, alleging years of racist bullying

The lawsuit alleges school officials failed to stop repeated racial harassment that severely affected the teenager’s well-being.

A Black father and his teenage son have filed a federal lawsuit against the Nauset Regional School District in Massachusetts, alleging the district failed to stop racist bullying dating back to 2021 that contributed to the boy’s 2024 suicide attempt.

Lawyers for Civil Rights filed the complaint Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on behalf of Damion Walker and his son, identified as A.W. The lawsuit says A.W. was repeatedly targeted at Nauset Regional Middle School in Orleans beginning in 2021.

The complaint alleges classmates called A.W. racial slurs, physically assaulted him and subjected him to racist gestures. It also claims school staff and administrators knew about the harassment but failed to stop it, sometimes questioning A.W.’s credibility or treating him as the problem instead.

A school-ordered behavioral assessment later concluded that other students, not A.W., were the source of the problem, the civil rights group said.

The lawsuit says the harassment continued for months and that A.W., then 14, attempted suicide in March 2024. He was hospitalized for seven days. Court records cited by Cape and Islands Public Radio say he told hospital staff that bullying at school was “100% the reason” for the attempt.

Walker said families should be able to trust schools to protect their children and accused Nauset of failing his son.

Nauset Public Schools Superintendent Glenn Brand said the district is committed to providing an environment free from harassment and discrimination but declined to address the specific allegations because of student confidentiality laws.

The lawsuit brings claims under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the U.S. Constitution and state law. The family is seeking unspecified damages and systemic changes to how the district responds to racial harassment.