YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A York County parent has filed a lawsuit against York Preparatory Academy in Rock Hill, alleging racial discrimination against his son, a sixth-grade student during the 2022-23 school year.
The lawsuit, filed by Terano Nelson on February 27 in a South Carolina federal district court, claims that the school’s administrators failed to address racial slurs and offensive comments directed at his son, leading to physical illness and a change in personality.
“As parents, we did everything we were supposed to do,” the parents said in a statement to the Herald.
“We spoke up each time there was an incident, we followed the proper channels, we made formal complaints with the administration, and we trusted the school to do what was right. But they failed him.”
Nelson is seeking compensation and punitive damages against Principal Rebecca Kick, Vice Principal Shannon Beltakis, and Managing Director Brian Myrup, whom the lawsuit accuses of facilitating and permitting a hostile environment.
The lawsuit alleges that the racial harassment escalated to physical threats, assault, and battery against Nelson’s son, who is Black.
The school, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2018, has a student body that is more than 70% white, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
“This is not just about our son; this is about every Black student who has ever felt unheard, unsafe, or unprotected at YPA,” the parents said.
The lawsuit highlights ongoing concerns about racial discrimination in educational settings, with Nelson’s case emphasizing the need for schools to address and prevent hostile environments for minority students.
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