Students sue US school district for banning Black Lives Matter shirts

Washington: Students are suing a US state of Georgia school district for banning Black Lives Matter shirts while allowing white counterparts to wear apparel with the Confederate flag, a court filing revealed.

"Under the school's dress code, which is promulgated by the Board, school officials permit the wearing of any and all Confederate flag apparel... but simultaneously prohibit the wearing of any and all 'Black Lives Matter' or related thematic messaging," the lawsuit filed against officials in Georgia's Effingham County said.

The document also said white students who damaged government property by scrawling "I hate ni*****" on lockers in the baseball locker room have yet to be punished.

Black students have also experienced a pattern of overt bigotry by white teachers, the complaint added.

"Plaintiffs have repeatedly voiced their concerns and instances of open racism to school officials, and in some instances involved the local news channel to no avail; school officials have taken no actions to address or prevent these reported incidents of intimidation and racial bigotry and, in some instances, have catered to the perpetrators by failing to conduct proper investigations or discipline the perpetrators," the court filing said.

The lawsuit alleges that those named in the case violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in addition to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by denying them the right to equal access to an educational environment free from harassment and discrimination on the basis of race. (UNI)