'Enough is enough:' Student sues Kettle Moraine School District over racial bullying

WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A 15-year-old Kettle Moraine student is suing the school district. 

She says she has been the target of racist bullying.   

Stephanie Quinn says she has been bullied for the last three years.  

She says it started in middle school. Her mother says the district told her it would get better in high school, but she says it’s only gotten worse. 

Their lawsuit says the school did nothing to stop it.  

“Time after time, this family has asked this school district to take meaningful action, and they have failed miserably,” said attorney B’Ivory LaMarr. 

LaMarr is representing Quinn in her lawsuit filed Friday, Oct. 16 against the Kettle Moraine School District.  

“She has people accosting her random times for no apparent reason other than her race,” said Stephanie’s mother, Ebony Crumble.  

The school’s policies on racial harassment prohibit discriminatory or harassing conduct, saying it’s subject to immediate discipline, up to and including suspension.  

But they say the school did not step in to stop the bullying. 

“While racist ideologies are generally learned and bred at home, they must not be tolerated in our schools,” said LaMarr. 

The lawsuit claims that one time Stephanie was told to “go back to the hood.”  

Then in February of 2018, she says a student wrote a racial slur on a whiteboard directed at her.  

The next month, she says lights were turned off in a classroom, and a student said they couldn’t find her.  

Stephanie says she’s also been on the receiving end of cyberbullying harassment via Snapchat and emails as recently as last month.  

“I just feel stonewalled. As recently as last month, my daughter is still dealing with these issues with no real change,” said Crumble. 

According to the lawsuit, less than one in 10 students in the Kettle Moraine School District are of color.  

It’s why the family wants to hold the school accountable. That includes taking steps to end harassment, and prevent it from happening again.  

“Enough is enough. This will not be tolerated.”  

In a statement, the Kettle Moraine School District tells us they cannot comment on future litigation or make any comment.  

The family is asking the district to implement anti-bullying and harassment programs, and that the staff receives diversity training.