Billings Student Discrimination Complaint

Discrimination complaint filed against high school

(Information in the following story is from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com)

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Human Rights Bureau says it found "reasonable cause to believe unlawful discrimination occurred" against a student at Terry High School in eastern Montana.

The Billings Gazette reports in a story on Thursday that Shawn Springer filed the complaint last fall on behalf of her son, DuWayne Springer.

The family, Messianic Jews, said in the complaint that classmates used ethnic slurs during DuWayne Springer's junior year. The family has since moved to Wisconsin.

The Terry School District says the statements aren't accurate.

That means state officials will hold a hearing later this year and make a ruling on whether discrimination occurred.

If the school district loses it might have to pay compensatory damages to the Springer family.