Children suffering racist bullying at Redlands elementary school, lawsuit alleges

Two children at a Redlands elementary school faced months of racial abuse, discrimination and teasing, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, their mother alleges in a lawsuit filed by the school district.

Some children called the children “tar balls” and “mud,” according to the lawsuit. In one incident, one of the children is said to have received a letter from a classmate telling him that his skin is “as black as your future.”

The lawsuit, filed against the Redlands Unified School District in March, alleges that school officials and administrators did little to resolve their problems or take steps to prevent future incidents despite numerous complaints.

A spokesperson for the district declined to comment on specific allegations, saying the charges are still pending.

“While we cannot comment on the allegations contained in the lawsuit, Redlands Unified takes complaints involving discrimination, harassment, bullying and student welfare very seriously,” the statement said in a statement. “When complaints are raised, the District follows established procedures to review the matter, provide appropriate support, and take action consistent with District police and applicable law.”

The lawsuit was filed by Daphne Hawkins on behalf of her two children who attended Mariposa Elementary School.

The alleged incidents and racial profiling took place on the playground and inside the classroom, according to the suit. Among them was a December 2024 lesson about Christmas that featured Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, a controversial Dutch holiday character known as Santa Claus’s helper depicted with exaggerated, racist physical features – including large red lips. The character is often portrayed by white actors in blackface.

According to the original petition filed with the district by Hawkins’ attorney in July, one of the mother’s children — the only black child in the class — was assigned to “model the costume.”

“The lesson in the classroom changed and reinforced racial stereotypes and caused the Hawkins children to feel singled out and racially degraded, causing their classmates to stare, laugh, and later refer to the photo in derisive comments,” the lawsuit said.

Hawkins alleges that in this case his children were repeatedly abused by students in the classroom, in the corridors and on the playground, incidents like these escalated after the Christmas lesson.

A few weeks after the lesson, in January 2025, the lawsuit says, one of the kids received a letter from another student in the class that read, “Your skin is as dark as your future.”

After that, according to the lawsuit, the school allegedly failed to implement a written response system and did not separate the children.

The following month, the lawsuit alleges that one of the children was told by a classmate, “You should be at the Black African monkey show.”

Racist comments were overheard by students and reported to school staff, but the lawsuit claims school officials did nothing to address them.

In the March 2025 incident, the playground manager overheard a student telling one of the children, “Your skin is the color of dog food,”

The lawsuit alleges that the student who made the comment was told to “behave” but there was no written discipline, parent conference, segregation or supervision.

“The county is not being held accountable for its actions even though there is a definite pattern of ignoring situations like this,” said Willie W. Williams, the attorney representing Hawkins.

Williams said his clients contacted district officials several times, but Redlands Unified did not move to address their concerns.

“The district has not done anything specific to address the incidents or fix the situation with the family and the children,” Williams said in a brief interview. “In fact, the district has stonewalled the remedies for this situation.”

Since the incidents, the two children have been diagnosed with PTSD and are receiving treatment, Williams said.

Williams declined to say whether the children are still attending schools in the district.

“The children are devastated and still emotionally affected by what happened,” said Williams. “We hope things will get better.”

After these incidents, children started telling their parents and teachers that they have stomachaches and anxiety before school, running away from recess.

Hawkins, her husband and supporters spoke about several incidents, including emails and meetings with school officials. The lawsuit says, in letters sent in April, the school district reported investigating the incidents and verifying the incidents.

Parents spoke again during the March 2025 board meeting.

“These are not just words,” Hawkins said during the meeting. “This is an attack on the dignity and humanity of our children.”