Michelle Obama’s brother and sister-in-law have filed a lawsuit against a private Milwaukee school over concerns over racial bias and inappropriate conduct at the school.
Driving the news: Craig and Kelly Robinson accused the University School of Milwaukee of expelling their two sons, aged 9 and 11, after the couple claimed that teachers treated students of color and low socioeconomic status unfairly, according to CBS News.
Details: On Monday, the couple filed a 25-page lawsuit arguing that the school terminated their sons’ enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year, despite their sons being “model students.”
- In the suit, they argued that some of the language in various worksheets and projects was “offensive to persons of color, persons with disabilities, indigenous Americans and other underrepresented students,” per NPR.
- They also argued that the school received two bias incident reports but took no further action.
What they’re saying: In an interview with a Milwaukee TV station, Robinson said he and his wife raised concerns after their children started attending school virtually during the pandemic.
- “That opened up a window into the classroom, and what we saw was a repeated use of racial and ethnic stereotypes in actual assignments, a disregard for children who weren’t physically in the classroom and an insensitivity to socioeconomic status,” Craig Robinson told TMJ4.
The school said it “cannot and will not tolerate persistently disrespectful, bullying or harassing behavior directed at our devoted and hardworking teachers and administrators,” in an open statement.
- “Such conduct that makes faculty feel unsafe not only violates our Common Trust pledge and Parent-School Partnership, but also interferes with USM’s operations and precludes a positive and constructive working relationship between the school and the families we proudly serve,” the statement continued.
- “When such parental conduct threatens the educational environment we have created, we have no choice but to take action.”