Ohio court upholds school suspension of 12-year-old black boy accused of staring at a white girl

The Internet is in an uproar over news that a12-year-old African American boy was suspended from school after he allegedly “stared” at a white girl in Glendale, Ohio.

“My son stared at a girl who was engaged in a staring game,” explained Candice Tolbert, the boy’s mother. “She giggled the entire time.”

The incident was decided recently in court regarding an event that occured in September, 2014.

The ‘staring contest’ occurred on Monday and the school was notified of the ‘problem’ by the girl’s parents on Tuesday. That day, the school talked to the boy involved but did not tell his parents until Wednesday, after he had already written an apology letter to the girl.

“I never knew she was scared because she was laughing,” he wrote. He also added, “I understand I done the wrong thing that will never happen again. I will start to think before I do so I am not in this situation.”

The boy is Black, and the girl is white, but the parents said they are not yet willing to say race played a role in their son’s suspension.  However, they did take action against the school.

The Tolberts filed suit in Hamilton County Common Pleas and charged that the school did not give their son due process. However, a judge denied their claim, and their son’s suspension remains standing.

According to a statement from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati:

Judge Patrick Dinkelacker listened to the plaintiff’s arguments yesterday, rejected them, and