Bernards Schools To 'Vigorously Defend' Against Lawsuit Claiming Racist Bullying

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards Township School District will be defending itself against a lawsuit filed by the parents of a former William Annin Middle School student.

The parents claim in the lawsuit that their son experienced "unending racist harassment, intimidation and bullying."

"While we do not comment on student matters, we intend to vigorously defend the Board and its employees in this litigation," said Superintendent Nick Markarian to Patch on Wednesday.

The lawsuit was filed by parents and guardians, B.B. and D.A., of student J.B. in Somerset County Superior Court earlier this month. Due to the student's age, only initials were used in the filing. See Related: Lawsuit Claiming 'Racist Bullying' Filed Against Bernards Twp. Schools

The suit claims bullying against J.B. "by his peers based on his race" began during his seventh-grade year during the 2021-2022 academic school year.

Fellow students repeatedly referred to J.B. as the N-word, "monkey," and "my black boy," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claimed bullying, intimidation, and harassment only intensified and continued through his eighth-grade year in 2023.

"In March 2023, during a school play practice, J.B.’s peers told him that he "should be swinging from tree branches and eating a banana like a monkey," according to the lawsuit.

J.B.'s parents then made the decision to remove him from the District and send him to a private school for high school, according to the lawsuit.

"Whereas he had once been a happy boy excited by school, he no longer smiled and dreaded attending school. J.B. became quiet, withdrawn, depressed, and began to sleep longer and attempt to avoid school," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that due to the repeated conduct toward J.B. he suffered "significant emotional distress, and he has been diagnosed as suffering from Major Depressive Disorder (recurrent, moderate), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and an Anxiety Disorder."

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