News Update

Civil rights lawsuit filed against El Dorado High School District

Ashley Lewis, a Placerville mother, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against El Dorado Unified High School District, alleging that district and high school administrators failed to protect her daughter from racially motivated verbal and physical attacks, and ignored her pleas for help, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Lewis told the Bee that her daughter, who is Black, had been subjected to racial taunts and harassment since first grade. The harassment became more physical when she began attending El Dorado High School, according to the lawsuit. The girl, who is now 16, has been beaten, touched, had her hair pulled and called names, according to the lawsuit. The girl, who was not named in the lawsuit, has since changed schools. 

The lawsuit alleges discrimination, sexual harassment and negligent supervision of students and seeks punitive, general and medical damages. 

District officials denied the allegations in a statement to the Sacramento Bee, but declined further comment.