Valley teacher files lawsuit against school district over student-based racial discrimination
May 3, 2014, 4:34 PM | Updated: May 4, 2014, 12:45 pm
PHOENIX — What began as a ‘dream job’ for one Valley teacher has quickly turned into quite a horror story.
According to KPHO.com, Dr. Cicely Cobb, who began teaching at Desert Vista High School in 2012, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the Tempe Union High School District after receiving racially insensitive tweets, videos and comments sent to her via social media from students all over campus.
“I do feel that I have been the victim of racial discrimination,” Cobb, an African-American, told KPHO.com.
According to Cobb, students have done everything from suggesting she participates in prostitution to posting photos associating her with Ku Klux Klan meetings to portraying her with blackface imagery.
But the discrimination wasn’t limited to the Internet.
Prior to the lawsuit being filed, a student posted a video to a social media site in January.
It shows another student walking up to Cobb and tapping her on the head with a laminated bathroom pass.
“These children just had no respect for me or my authority,” said Cobb.
KPHO.com attempted to get a comment from the TUHSD, but it declined to speak due to pending litigation.
However, the district has denied Cobb’s allegations.