JSASD officials accused of indifference to racial harassment in amended complaint

JERSEY SHORE -- Officials in a Lycoming County school district are accused of being deliberately indifferent to racial harassment.

The allegations against the Jersey Shore Area School District and three administrators are contained in an amended complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. Middle District Court by the parents of two bi-racial children.

Judge Matthew W. Brann a month ago dismissed the complaint of Adam and Catiese Williams, ruling they failed to meet the very high standard for causes of actions against public schools and officials related to student bullying.

He expressed empathy for what the Williams children allegedly endured and stated he appreciated how difficult the situation must be from the perspective of the parents.

Brann gave the couple permission to file another amended complaint but discouraged them from doing so if there are no new facts to be alleged or to be alleged more completely.

The new complaint accuses District Superintendent Brian T. Ulmer, high school principal Steven Keen and assistant principal Elizabeth Seagraves of making "deliberate decisions based on racial animus."

They also are accused of not conducting adequate investigations, issuing effective consequences or taking reasonable and effective steps to end racial harassment.

Policies and procedures were followed and discipline imposed for non-racial harassment and bullying of white students but not when Black students reported the same, the complaint claims.

The district does not comment on pending litigation, solicitor Christopher H. Kenyon said.

As the original complaint stated, the racial harassment never ended and the Williams were compelled to remove their son and daughter and leave the district.

Allegations in the amended complaint include:

-- Racial harassment complaints were concealed by not including them as required in Safe School Reports filed annually with the state Department of Education.

-- Reports for the school years 2019 through 2022 list no incidents involving racial/ethnic intimidation, but other forms of harassment/intimidation were included.

-- Since in or shortly after 2010 the district has had a history of Black students being subjected to racial harassment and a racially hostile atmosphere by white students.

-- A diversity committee established in 2010 that interacted with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission was disbanded after the Black student and his mother who urged its creation relocated.

-- Many of the events of racial harassment detailed in the complaint were done by multiple repeat offenders whose identities were known to school officials.

As in the previous complaints, examples of the racial harassment were included. A couple of the examples include:

In the fall of 2019 in the middle school, the Williams' son was told they wanted to sell him on the slave stage and wished they could travel back in time so they own him as slave and whip him. They made monkey noises at him.

In March 2021, the daughter was called the "N" word in class by a student, who later apologized. The Williams were told an ethics committee that would include their daughter would be formed, but it never was.

In September 2021, the boy was subjected to being called the "N" word and reminded that Blacks had been hung in the past when they didn't do what they were supposed to do.

A couple other incidents through January 2022 were cited.

The complaint details the unsuccessful interaction the Williams say they had with school officials after the racial incidents.

Ulmer, Keen and Seagraves are accused by their actions or inactions of furthering and facilitating racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

The civil rights complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for loss of education benefits and opportunities, emotional distress and for the parents, moving expenses and lost wages and benefits.

Both parents took cuts in pay by being forced to relocate, the complaint states.