Civil rights attorneys have filed a federal complaint on behalf of a Black family against the Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School, alleging that the school ignored vile racist attacks against two sisters and instead vilified them.
Lawyers for Civil Rights is representing the mother, Trusha Vilvar, and her two daughters, Melody and Kamora who say they have been abused by students and unprotected by the school district.
The sisters said they had racial slurs and threats hurled at them incessantly during the 2023-2024 year. They said they’ve heard schoolmates call them “monkey” and “N-word” and have been made fun of for their appearance.
The lawsuit alleges that school officials did nothing to make the sisters feel safe or to hold any of their schoolmates accountable for the abuse, and instead punished the girls. The school’s student population is about 5% Black. Millbury is a suburb south of Worcester.
According to the lawsuit, the younger sister was suspended three times during the school year, once for simply putting her hair up in a ponytail. That suspension lasted a day.
Mirian Albert, the attorney leading the case, told GBH News “instead of the school protecting the sisters against this racial harassment, what the school did was they relied on racist and harmful stereotypes about black girls.”
The complaint alleges that rather than being protected, the sisters were often suspended or accused of lying or being aggressors. Albert said the complaint, filed with the federal Department of Education, is asking for an investigation of the school and the district “to address some of these larger issues about racial bullying and also a disparate discipline that our clients experienced.”
The complaint alleges that the school failed to notify the parents of white students of their discriminatory and abusive behavior while the Black sisters, when they notified school officials, were questioned, doubted and dismissed.
Millbury Schools Superintendent Greg Myers said in a statement that he could not comment on the specific allegations because of student privacy issues, but “I can say that we take such allegations very seriously and address them in accordance with our Title VI procedures.”
Myers added “We welcome a comprehensive review of our practices and procedures to ensure that our schools are respectful and supportive of all students. Our goal is to cultivate a community where every student is valued and has the opportunity to thrive. We look forward to working with the Office of Civil Rights to resolve each of these allegations.”
