A Black girl was harassed and assaulted by White male students while in school. The incident occurred at a predominately White private school in Springfield, Virginia, according to WUSA9.
While attending Immanuel Christian School where tuition is $12,000 per year, Amari Allen a 12-year-old honor student, began facing harassment from fellow White students who called her ugly and told her that her hair was “nappy.” The harassment continued for weeks with the boys taking her lunch and taunting her relentlessly. They also told her that she should not have been born. After facing verbal abuse, Allen was physically assaulted.
One of the boys held her arm and another boy cut her locs. Once she got home, her grandmother noticed that her hair was shorter. Amari’s aunt, Zyonn Allen, spoke with school officials who urged her not to put the incident on social media. Furthermore, the school official revealed that adults were present and the boys were not suspended or expelled.
“Please pray for the Allen Family,” Zyonn Allen shared on Facebook. “We all need strength for my niece Amari Allen. She has been bullied at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield, VA. Three White boys decided to hold her down and cut her hair stating it is ugly and nappy.” Allen’s aunt played a video of a phone call from the school where she’s asked to “do the Godly thing and keep it off social media.”
Allen’s family is currently seeking legal advice and could possibly sue the school.
Stephen Danish, head of the school said in a statement, “We take seriously the emotional and physical well-being of all our students and have a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of bullying or abuse.”
