Melrose Middle Schooler Harassed 'Based on Race'

A Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School student was “subjected to harassment based on race,” during the 2013-2014 school year, the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights determined.

The Boston Globe reports a complaint was filed with the Office for Civil Rights in the fall of 2014 regarding a harassment incident, which took place in the spring of 2014.

In a letter of complaint from the Office of Civil Rights to Melrose Superintendent Cyndy Taymore, a teacher at the middle school allegedly “made derogatory remarks to one of her assigned students, directed at the student’s race.” Additionally, the school district’s “lack of response continues to subject students to a racially hostile environment.”

The Melrose School District was recently given verbal notice from the Office of Civil Rights saying they had confirmed the incident took place.

“Recently, verbal notification was received that has determined that the school district was found to be in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Taymore wrote in the statement.

Taymore also said the Office of Civil Rights requested to engage in talks to resolve the matter, but that they had not provided any written notification or details regarding their findings based on investigations into the matter.

According to, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The teacher who is said to be responsible for the harassment incident is now retired, a Melrose School Committee member told the Globe.