The parents of four Black students have decided to take legal actions after their kids endured a racist act from their teacher.
In November 2019, students at Longwood High School in Long Island, New York took a class trip to the Bronx Zoo. During the trip, their teacher took a photo of four Black students standing behind each other with their arms on the shoulders of the person in front of them.
In December 2019, the teacher uploaded a photo gallery that featured the image of the four students with the caption, “Monkey do.” The picture of the students was placed between two images, one of a monkey with the caption “Monkey See” and another image of a gorilla.
Once the students told their parents about the incident, the families decided to take legal action. In a lawsuit filed on Jan. 8, the students say they were coerced by the teacher into taking the photo.
The lawsuit also claims the image was altered to compare the students to monkeys or gorillas. It says the district violated the student’s civil rights.
The parents are seeking $12 million.
