HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. — Editor's Note: WBIR typically does not identify minors. It decided to identify Keelin Releford after he said he wanted his story to be heard, and after his mother agreed to identify him.
On June 10, the U.S. Department of Justice said Hawkins County Schools agreed to settle a lawsuit that involved multiple instances of student-led racial harassment, such as students hosting a mock "slave auction" that targeted a biracial student and creating a monthly, racist campaign to ridicule other Black students.
The department in a June 10 release said the school district had been "deliberately indifferent to known race-based harassment in its schools, violating the equal protection rights of Black students."
Now, a young victim in the civil rights lawsuit against the school district said he wants his story heard.
"It just does something to you, like I said. It drug me all the way down," said Keelin Releford, a Hawkins County student. "I'm better than that, and I shouldn't have to be dragged down like that, a bunch. I shouldn't have to be bullied for anything, especially because of my color. And like I said on the other interview, I don't want my brothers going through what I went through."
He said he faced frequent, racial harassment and bullying in Hawkins County schools. He said it began in the eighth grade and continues even today.
It began when classmates started using racist slurs against him. He also said students drew racist depictions of the Ku Klux Klan.
"Did that really just happen? Because I have never heard it thrown at me like that before," he said. "It was this KKK member with the torch, and the noose on Monkey Island."
A video began circulating on Snapchat, sent to several students including a Black student. The Department of Justice describes the video in its investigation, saying it was sent with a racist caption.
"It was someone I thought was my friend who had pulled a stuffed monkey out of their backpack and had told me that they had my little brother, and then started chasing me with it," he said.
His mother, Erika Releford, said the bullying continued each semester. The Department of Justice's investigation also spans two school years. Erika and the Department of Justice said school leaders did not properly address the bullying, and students like Keelin suffered as a result, losing out on educational benefits.
"When they auction my child off in a mock slave auction in the bathroom, that's not funny. That's not a joke. When you run a 'Monkey of the Month' campaign, and to select a student of color as the 'Monkey of the Month,' that's not a joke," she said.
She said she met with the school district several times and sent them several emails to alert them to the bullying. However, she said the incidents continued.
Keelin is still a student in Hawkins County Schools and said he wanted to speak out and make sure the public knew about the bullying and racism. As part of their settlement with the school district, Hawkins County Schools agreed to pay attorney fees and to award money that can only be used for Keelin's education. In total, the settlement was worth $110,000.
Hawkins County Schools previously released a statement about the Department of Justice's investigation, available below.
"As noted within the Agreement with the Department of Justice itself, Hawkins County Schools 'disagrees with the Department’s findings and conclusions related to allegations of race-based harassment and/or violence, and disagrees that it or its agents acted with deliberate indifference.' Our school system is - and always has been - dedicated to serving and protecting all students, regardless of race. Therefore, we entered into the Agreement with DOJ to continue pursuing those same goals, and we look forward to working with the Department regarding the same in the future."
The Department of Justice also required the school district to implement at least eight specific changes, listed below.
- Hiring a compliance officer to oversee the effective resolution of race discrimination and harassment complaints;
- Retaining a consultant to support the school district in implementing the agreement and creating a discrimination-free learning environment for all;
- Creating a new electronic reporting portal to track and manage complaints and the district’s response to complaints;
- Updating its racial harassment and school discipline policies to more accurately track and consistently respond to complaints of race-based harassment;
- Training staff on how to identify, investigate and respond to complaints of racial harassment and discriminatory discipline practices;
- Informing students and parents of how to report harassment and discrimination;
- Implementing listening sessions, school climate surveys, training and educational events on identifying and preventing race discrimination, including discriminatory harassment; and
- Analyzing discipline data and amending policies to ensure non-discriminatory enforcement of discipline policies.