Racial Bullying in Small Town Ohio~Guest Post By Kelly Shoemaker Cooper

I feel that I must share my son's story from small town USA. Last school year my son was in 4th grade. He was being bullied and called racial slurs (nigger and porch monkey) by a 6th grader and a group of other boys. My husband reached out to the principal of his school to discuss what was happening to our son. He told my husband that bullying and racial intimidation does not occur in his school. A week later the group of boys showed up at our house trying to get my son and another black boy to go to the neighborhood park. They had baseball bats and intended to harm my son and his friend. The boy's father was waiting at the park. We contacted the police and filed a report. My husband contacted the principal regarding this incident. He was told that this isn't a school issue. The bullying and racial intimidation continued through out the week at school. Many days this group of boys would back my son and his friend into a corner, threatening them. Still nothing was done by the school or police department. That weekend the group of boys showed up at my house again. They were as bold as to knock on my front door. I told them to leave my property. They went to the corner and continued taunt us. One boy yelled "I am going to kick your nigger as." I contacted the police and filed a second report. The following Monday my son was cornered again by this group of boys in the morning and told "hey nigger, we will see you at recess." My son went to the principal and told him. He did NOTHING! Fast forward to recess. My son walked onto the playground and was immediately confronted by one of the boys. My son feeling threatened, had no choice but to defend himself. He put the boy down with 3 punches. Another boy started to jump in and my son's best friend ( who is white) jumped on the boy's back to stop him from attacking my son. My son and his friend were suspended 3 days! The school said my son and his friend planned to attack these boys. The other boys were given no form of punishment!!! The school filed a report on my son's friend with the police department for assault. They are 9 years old! The prosecutor finally charged the ring leader with disorderly conduct but the school still blames my son. Now anyone dare tell me race and education isn't connected! Where is the justice for my son? This is just one of many stories in the life of my son.