Oak Park school district faces lawsuit over alleged racial discrimination

OAK PARK, Ill. - A local school district is facing a lawsuit after a parent claimed her children were subjected to racial discrimination and harassment at Percy Julian Middle School.

The lawsuit, filed by Candace Ward, names the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Board of Education, two middle school teachers, and a school principal, accusing them of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

The 17-page lawsuit details a series of incidents, one of which went viral in April 2024. On April 2, Ward shared a post showing a bag of cotton with seeds that her 7th-grade daughter had received in a social science class. According to the post, only Black students were given the cotton, an event that sparked widespread outrage on social media.

The lawsuit also references other incidents, including one in which Ward’s daughter was allegedly called a racial slur by another student. Ward claims the school took no action against the student responsible for the slur. When her daughters confronted the student and slapped him, one of them was suspended and placed in what Ward describes as a "closet" during her suspension.

In response to these events, Ward says she visited the school and was arrested, resulting in charges against her. The lawsuit aims to address what Ward describes as a pattern of racial discrimination and retaliation that her family has faced over the years.

The district said they haven’t received the suit, even though the attorney for the Ward family says the suit was sent and filed on Thursday last week.

In a statement released last April, the district said, in part:

"We acknowledge that this situation has caused a great deal of confusion, concern, and hurt within and beyond our school community. As we continue to investigate, learn from what occurred and plan for next steps, the superintendent and the board are committed to upholding the values of our district…"

Read the full statement HERE.