Opinion ID: 1442370
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: February 22, 2005 Altercation and other Altercations

Text: Both sides in the instant case cite an incident that occurred on February 22, 2005 as the catalyst of heightened racial tension in the school. Barr recounted his observation of the incident. According to Barr, the incident involved a physical altercation at a basketball game in the gym, between an African-American student (whose name Barr did not know) and a Caucasian student named J.H. J.A. at 235 (Barr Dep. at 8:12-20). Barr did not remember exactly what the argument was about. J.A. at 235 (Barr Dep. at 8:21-23). Barr indicated that a third racist white student named C.P. didn't like what the African-American kid was saying, and they got into it. J.A. at 235-36 (Barr Dep. at 8:24-9:3). The African-American student rounded up a group of friends, and Barr joined a couple of other kids ... because [J.H.] was our friend and we didn't want to see him getting jumped by anybody. J.A. at 236 (Barr Dep. at 9:3-9). Before a physical altercation began, the teachers and everybody got down there and split them up and everything like that and told them to go to class. And from then on there was a tight racist thing going on in the school. J.A. at 236 (Barr Dep. at 9:10-13). Barr testified that by tight racist thing, he meant that the African-American students tried to find anything they could to get Caucasian students in trouble. J.A. at 236 (Barr Dep. at 9:15-20). The incident resulted in the parent of the African-American student involved in the February 22 altercation, whom the school suspended, filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education alleging that the complainant's son received harsher discipline than a white student who did not receive a suspension. J.A. at 111 (Hord Dep. at 17-18); J.A. at 289 (OCR Letter at 1). OCR investigated the incident and concluded that the witnesses did not substantiate the allegations that Student # 2 [a Caucasian student] engaged in fighting. All witnesses stated that Student #2 had not pulled back when Student # 1 pushed him into the bleachers. J.A. at 291 (OCR Letter at 3). [2] Furthermore, OCR concluded although [t]he complainant reported that the two [Caucasian] HHS students threatened, used racial slurs or intimidating conduct (noose gestures) against [her son, African-American] Student # 1 [,] ... that allegation was not corroborated by witnesses. Id. In addition to the February 22 incident, Hord attests that the school experienced multiple racially motivated threats and physical altercations, but Hord does not specifically describe other physical altercations. J.A. at 53 (Hord Aff. 3/10/06 at ¶ 3(b)). Hord mentioned at his deposition an incident in January 2005 involving a mixed-race step team that he believed contributed to racial tensions at the school. J.A. at 111 (17:7-16).