Sisters at a Massachusetts high school have settled with the school district after claiming they endured months of racist bullying and threats from white classmates.
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they → settle → classmates
Melody and Kamora Dabney filed a complaint against Millbury Public Schools in September 2024 after claiming that other students mocked the sisters for their skin color, hair texture and facial features.
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students → file → color
Lawyers filed with the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of the girls' mother Trusha Vilvar, claiming that fellow students repeatedly used the N-word and referred to the Dabney sisters as 'monkey.'
'Melody and Kamora have been subjected to ongoing racial harassment by their white classmates, including consistent spewing of the N-word and vile insults targeting their racial identity and appearance,' the filing seen by the Daily Mail said.
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filing → file → Mail
The sisters were two of only a handful of Black students at Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School and alleged that school administrators had sided with the 'white students responsible for the harassment,' the complaint said.
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complaint → allege → harassment
According to the documents, Melody was told by students that she was 'Black as f***,' 'ugly,' and 'too dark.'
Kamora recalled in the filing that, when studying in the school library in 2023, a white student showed her a note with the N-word written on it and said an 'N-word pass' was a common joke within the school.
In response, Kamora said she ripped the paper up and threw it at the classmate but she was written up by the librarian.
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she → accord → librarian
The infraction didn't include the racial aspects of the incident and was ultimately used in relation to her suspension 20 days later, according to the filing.
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infraction → include → filing
Melody and Kamora Dabney filed a complaint against Millbury Public Schools in September 2024 after claiming that other students mocked the sisters for their skin color, hair texture and facial features
The sisters were two of only a handful of Black students at Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School and alleged that school administrators had sided with the 'white students responsible for the harassment,' the complaint said
'Although the girls and their mother brought this racist behavior to Respondents’ attention on numerous occasions, Respondents attempted to sweep it under the rug, diminishing the severity and harm of these traumatic incidents,' the complaint continued.
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complaint → file → incidents
A message on Snapchat included in the filing read: 'B*** stop tryna f*** with me [redacted] will beat your a** Kamora [redacted] won't do anything it a n***** go back to [your] mother land just like [redacted] said.'
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redacted → include → land
The girls' lawyers claimed that, instead of taking 'decisive action to stop the harassment,' the school 'chose to weaponize discipline against Melody and Kamora.'
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school → claim → Melody
The complaint alleged that, in retaliation, the school issued the girls 'lengthy suspensions to keep the sisters out of school and involving law enforcement to criminalize them - all while protecting the white students who threatened the sisters with violence and targeted them for racist attacks.'
Greg Myers, the school district superintendent, noted that the settlement was reached 'without any admission of wrongdoing by the district or any finding that the district violated the students' civil rights.'
'Millbury Public Schools is pleased to have reached a mutually agreed-upon resolution,' Myers said in a statement to The Boston Globe.
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Myers → allege → Globe
'The safety, well-being and dignity of every student remain central to our mission and we take concerns involving bullying, harassment and discrimination seriously.
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we → remain → bullying
'Racism, discrimination and harassment have no place in our schools.'
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Racism → have → schools
The filing included a screenshot of a message on Snapchat addressed to Kamora which told the teenager to 'go back to your motherland'
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which → include → motherland
Greg Myers, the school district superintendent, noted that the settlement was reached 'without any admission of wrongdoing by the district or any finding that the district violated the students' civil rights'
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district → note → rights
In 2025, Kamora told the outlet: 'School is supposed to feel like a safe space.
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School → tell → space
Leaving my house to go to school, I don't feel that safe.'
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I → leave → school
The girls' mother added that none of their complaints were taken seriously.
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none → add → complaints
'If the girls don't have four to five witnesses that heard, they're not believed,' Vilvar said.
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Vilvar → have → witnesses
Lawyers for Civil Rights said in a statement on Monday that school officials 'failed to take meaningful action to root out racism or hold racist perpetrators accountable,' the Globe reported.
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Globe → say → racism
Myers said that the settlement of an undisclosed amount of compensation does not require 'a wholesale overhaul' of policies.
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settlement → say → policies
Instead, the agreement included a 'limited clarification to our existing grievance procedures regarding the use of progressive consequences and consideration of relevant factors when providing for those progressive consequences,' he said.
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he → include → consequences
The superintendent noted that those clarifications were 'already a part of Millbury's practices.'
Lawyers for Civil Rights, however, told the outlet that the settlement required the school district to revise its Civil Rights Grievance Procedures, allowing students increased protections against racial bullying.
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settlement → note → bullying
Mirian Albert, an attorney with Lawyers for Civil Rights, added that the case was about 'ensuring that Melody and Kamora were heard, protected and treated with the dignity that every student deserves'
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student → add → that
Millbury Public Schools remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment for all students,' a statement from the school district said, the Globe reported.
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Globe → remain → district
'We recognize that fostering a positive school culture requires ongoing attention, strong partnerships with families, and a shared commitment to treating every individual with dignity and respect.'
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fostering → recognize → dignity
The Dabney sisters' mother said in a statement that their action against the school was 'never just about my daughters.'
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action → say → daughters
'It was about standing up for every child in the district who has experienced racism, bullying, or discrimination and felt unheard, and making sure their voices matter too,' Vilvar said.
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Vilvar → stand → racism
'Our family’s hope is that this resolution leads to meaningful change and helps create a school environment where every child feels safe, respected, and heard.'
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child → lead → environment
Mirian Albert, an attorney with Lawyers for Civil Rights, added that the case was about 'ensuring that Melody and Kamora were heard, protected and treated with the dignity that every student deserves.'
'We are pleased that the matter has been resolved and hope this settlement helps ensure a safer and more supportive educational environment for all students in Millbury,' Albert told the outlet.
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Albert → add → Millbury
The Daily Mail reached out to Millbury Public Schools and Lawyers for Civil Rights for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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