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A Black assistant principal who was targeted by racist graffiti and social media posts is suing Sacramento City Unified School District for allegedly leaving her unprotected against years of race-based discrimination.
Elysse Versher, a former vice principal at West Campus High School, announced the discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday (June 1), per the Sacramento Bee. The suit comes after an investigation by the school district confirmed that Versher faced racist abuse through graffiti on campus and online last fall.
Prior to last year's incidents, Versher says she endured other racist attacks from colleagues, parents, and students, according to the lawsuit.
In one instance, Versher claims that the school didn't take action after a parent allegedly slashed her car tires in 2019. In October 2020, the former assistant principal says a group of white students saw no repercussions after interrupting a class meeting via video conference and employing racial slurs at Black students.
“This seriously disturbed the African-American students and made them hurt, upset, and terrified for their safety and well-being as African-American students at West Campus," Versher's lawsuit says. "It also seriously disputed the learning environment in violation of well-established campus rules and regulations."
Versher recently resigned from the Sacramento school district as she felt unprotected and in need of healing from these traumatic experiences.
According to the Sacramento Bee, a spokesperson said the district hadn't yet received the lawsuit.
Versher's case is backed by the Greater Sacramento NAACP, Sacramento BAPAC, Black Lives Matter Sacramento, NAN Sacramento, Sacramento ACT Unity of Sacramento, Diocese of Sacramento, and the California Black Chamber of Commerce.
Betty Williams, President of Sacramento's NAACP, said, “As the oldest civil rights organization in our nation, it’s imperative that we give voice to this issue and not forget that racism is alive and well as the most discriminated race in our America."
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