Beverly Hills High School fashion design teacher Bella Ivory, left, is sueing the school district over allegations of racism and is being represented by attorney Bradley Gage, center. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

The city of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Unified School District are currently being sued for alleged racial discrimination. Attorneys Brad Gage and Ben Crump held a press conference on Jan. 23 to update the public on the status of the cases.

The claim against the BHUSD was initially filed by two Black teachers on Dec. 9, alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, racial comments and physical threats.

One of the instructors – the school’s fashion design teacher Bella Ivory – alleged that she and a group of Black students were victims of racism during a demonstration celebrating the victory of President-Elect Donald Trump on campus on Nov. 6. She and Black students spoke at a school board meeting on Nov. 12, alleging that a pro-Trump mob of students marched through the halls, shouted racist language and attempted to enter her classroom, where seven members of the Black Student Union were present.

The second Black instructor represented in the claim remains anonymous.

Gage added that the lawsuit against the school district includes alleged instances of racism against Black and Latino students.

“The schools are a place where students are supposed to learn right from wrong and how to be good model citizens,” Gage said. “The allegations in our claim are that at the school, kids who are making racist comments – or physically attacking other students because of their race – they’re not getting punished. They’re staying in the school. But the victims – who are African American and Latin American – they are suffering. Many of them have had to leave the school because of fear, because of persecution.”

BHUSD parent Tene Medford said at the press conference that her son has experienced racism at Beverly Hills High School.

“My son has been called [the n-word] several times,” Medford said. “The young lady who called him [the n-word] said that she would lie if he reported her. That’s the most dangerous account of any, where someone knows that they’re wrong and yet will hurl these terms and make the child afraid to report and come forward.”

In response to the complaint filed by the two Black teachers, the school district said it has not found evidence of racism.

“We do not have evidence that suggests that there was racism at the recent spirited demonstrations, however BHUSD has implemented proactive measures to ensure that any concerns related to racism and antisemitism – perceived or real – are addressed promptly and effectively,” BHUSD Superintendent Michael Bregy said in a statement.

Bregy added that the school district is meeting with organizations including the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League “to deliver professional development for staff, workshops for students and community engagement sessions.”

“These initiatives will focus on empathy, active listening and fostering dialogue among diverse viewpoints,” Bregy wrote.

The statement also noted that the school district is continuing to review policies and protocols that address discrimination and facilitating conversations to “educate students on the balance between free speech and respect for others.”

Two class-action lawsuits have been filed against the city of Beverly Hills, alleging that hundreds of Black people were profiled and discriminated against by the Beverly Hills Police Department. The first lawsuit, filed in August 2021, includes more than 1,000 plaintiffs who allege that they were wrongfully arrested in Beverly Hills after being stopped by unmarked police cars between August 2019 and August 2021. The lawsuit seeks $500 million in damages.

Gage announced during the press conference that a second class-action lawsuit has been filed, alleging that the racial profiling by the police department has continued since 2021.

The city denied the allegations in a statement.

“The city of Beverly Hills is an international destination that always welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” the statement read. “The role of the Beverly Hills Police Department is to enforce the law, regardless of race. The city denies and will continue to strongly defend itself against these ongoing allegations.”