UPDATE: In a letter from the Racine Unified School District's Office of Human Resources dated March 29, 2019 stated neither the video nor statements from people involved (including the police report) support the claim the student was injured by the teacher or that the teacher used the n-word. See the full letter here.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
RACINE — A Racine family has claimed a middle school teacher called their son a racial slur and physically hurt him while breaking up a fight, while Racine Unified School District has denied the accusation.
Cellphone video provided by the Bolton family’s lawyer, Chris Stawski, shows Mitchell Middle School teachers trying to break up a fight between students March 15.
The father, Quentin Bolton, said a teacher called his son the n-word and slammed him to the ground.
“The exact phrase was boy (expletive) you need some more work. I’m sick of you guys,” said Bolton during a news conference Wednesday.
"He came back damaged emotionally and physically.” — Quentin Bolton said of his seventh-grade son
Bolton said the fight broke out when his son told a teacher he was being bullied and another kid hit him. Bolton said his son, who is in seventh grade, had symptoms of a concussion and received a five-day suspension.
"He came back damaged emotionally and physically,” said Bolton.
When you watch the video uncensored, the physical fight is clear, but it is not clear who said what.
"It’s just very saddening to me that anyone would make these kinds of accusations against a teacher who was clearly trying to protect the safety of his students and his colleagues,” said Stacy Tapp, RUSD chief of communication.
Tapp said the district launched an investigation the same day of the fight, and they worked with Racine Police. She said statements were taken from staff, the students involved, and students who witnessed the fight.
When asked about the accusation a teacher slammed the seventh-grader to the ground, Tapp said it appeared feet got tangled and caused them to fall.
"It’s just very saddening to me that anyone would make these kinds of accusations against a teacher who was clearly trying to protect the safety of his students and his colleagues.” — Stacy Tapp, RUSD chief of communication
"Very clearly none of that investigation turned any results that support these claims that are being made now after the fact,” said Tapp.
