Lawsuit targets area high schools
Racial incident alleged at Glastonbury-staples boys lacrosse game
A Glastonbury High School boys lacrosse player and his mother are suing for emotional distress following an alleged incident at a game in Westport where Staples players allegedly made racist noises at the student and staff members did nothing to stop it, according to court documents.
The lawsuit, filed in the Hartford Superior Court, names Glastonbury junior varsity lacrosse coach Christopher Driscoll, Glastonbury athletic director Trish Witkin, Glastonbury High School, the Glastonbury Board of Education, Staples High School in Westport and the Westport Board of Education in the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges that during a junior varsity lacrosse game between Glastonbury and Staples, players from Staples began making “loud monkey noises” directed at the Black student whenever he was on the field. The lawsuit alleges thatdriscoll did not make attempts to stop the noises or speak to the Staples coach about them during the first half, halftime or in the second half when players reportedly continued the behavior. The student left the field and sat on the bench in the third quarter, the lawsuit alleges.
It also alleges that Driscoll did not attempt to talk to the student on the bus ride home, where the student sat alone in the back of the bus. According to the lawsuit, the boy’s parent alleges that they attempted to reach out to school officials and did not receive a response.
The student “no longer wants anything to do with the lacrosse team” following the alleged incident, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also names the Glastonbury Board of Education and the Westport Board of Education
The parent and student are seeking in excess of $15,000 in damages, according to the court filing.
“We take allegations of racebased harassment, discrimination, or other conduct extremely seriously,” Westport Superintendent Thomas Scarice said in a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media. “We stand ready to take action in response to any such conduct that has occurred in connection with our schools. In specific this case, we carefully reviewed this matter when it was brought to our attention, and we have determined that there is no merit to the allegations in the suit. We intend to vigorously defend the district in this lawsuit.”
The student’s lawyer, attorney James Sullivan did not provide further comment. Glastonbury Superintendent Alan Bookman could not be immediately reached for comment.