Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Oak Park School District for Racial Discrimination Following Controversial Cotton Picking Assignment

An Illinois school district is currently facing a federal lawsuit after a parent claims that her two children faced racial discrimination and harassment at Percy Julian Middle School.

The lawsuit, filed by Candace Ward, accuses the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Board of Education, along with two middle school teachers and the school principal, of engaging in harassment, discrimination, and retaliation against her family.

The 17-page legal complaint outlines several incidents, the most notable of which drew significant public attention in April 2024. On April 2, Ward took to social media to share that her 7th-grade daughter was given a bag of cotton with seeds during a social science class, claiming that only Black students received the cotton.

The lawsuit also details other incidents, including an allegation that Ward’s daughter was called a racial slur by another student. Ward argues that the school did not take any disciplinary action against the offending student. After her daughters confronted him and one slapped him, that daughter received a suspension and was reportedly placed in what Ward describes as a “closet” during the suspension.

In response to these events, Ward claims she went to the school and was arrested, resulting in charges being filed against her. The lawsuit highlights a pattern of racial discrimination and retaliation that her family has allegedly faced over the years.

The district stated that they have not yet received the lawsuit, although the Ward family’s attorney claims it was sent and filed the previous Thursday.