Black Lives Matter vs. The Confederate Flag: Georgia School Racism Lawsuit Can Move Forward

A federal district judge has ruled that a civil rights lawsuit filed by five Black students from Coosa High School in Rome, can move forward to trial.

The lawsuit alleges that school administrators violated the students’ First Amendment rights by suspending them for protesting against racist incidents at the school and for wearing “Black Lives Matter” shirts. This was in contrast to white students who were allegedly permitted to display Confederate flags without consequence.

The students are represented by prominent civil rights attorneys Harry M. Daniels, Artur Davis, and Shannon Liss-Riordan. The case gained national attention in 2022 when the students filed their lawsuit against the Floyd County School District, accusing the district and school board members of ignoring their complaints about repeated racial harassment.

The Details: The lawsuit details a troubling series of racist allegations at Coosa High School, including a white student calling Black students “slaves” while wearing a Confederate flag belt and another student threatening Black students with a whip, saying, “we used to whip you with this.” Additionally, the lawsuit describes an incident where white students reenacted the murder of George Floyd in a school hallway, as well as alleged racist remarks made by white teachers. The student body at Coosa High School is nearly 60% white and about 10% Black.

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In Context: Civil rights attorney Harry M. Daniels spoke of the broader implications of the case, stating, “Whether it’s in the classroom or the boardroom, racists and bullies have no place in our schools. The administrators at Coosa High School and the Floyd County School District would do well to learn that lesson. After all, it’s 2024, not 1964.”

What’s Next: The case will now move forward to trial, where the students will have the opportunity to present their claims before a jury. The outcome could have far-reaching consequences for how schools across the country handle similar allegations of racial discrimination and students’ rights to free speech.

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