'White Privilege' Lawsuit Against Morris Co. School Tossed Out

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A federal court judge has officially dismissed a lawsuit filed against a Morris County school district by a parent who claimed his son was discriminated against because he was white.

A Mountain Lakes parent, only identified as B.L., stated that since June 6, 2020, the school district has created a hostile educational environment for his son and other students through "a campaign of open racial discrimination" within some of the programming.

The lawsuit, filed in 2022, claimed that the district "forced a racial political ideology" on students, violating their constitutional right not to be discriminated against based on their race or skin color.

In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, then-Mountain Lakes High School Principal Frank Sanchez sent a pamphlet to parents and a video to students, according to the suit. According to the lawsuit, the pamphlet encouraged political activism in support of anti-racist ideology and discussed institutional racism around the world.

Furthermore, the former principal was accused of encouraging students to participate in Black Lives Matter protests, referring to them as a "call to arms."

In response, the father demanded that the Morris County district stop funding programs that implied white privilege, racism, or systemic injustice.

The lawsuit also stated that the district should be barred from applying for or receiving federal funds until it ceases the alleged "racially discriminatory practices." It also claims that discrimination harmed his son, J.L., who was a minor at the time, and other unnamed students.

"The programming includes, without limitation, shibboleths such as 'white children are receiving coded and sometimes direct messages that all the time about their racial superiority… and that MLSD needs to 'teach about white peoples roles in perpetuating racism,'" the lawsuit states.

In subsequent court documents, the father claimed that he and other plaintiffs, who had been identified on social media and in the community, had faced threats as a result of filing the suit.

The case was initially denied by Judge Jessica S. Allen in February, stating that they needed to file an amended complaint revealing their identities, but B.L. did not and instead filed the current appeal and motion to stay.

In April, District Judge John Michael Vasquez gave B.L. 30 days to amend the complaint and identify himself.

On Aug. 8, U.S. Judge Vazquez finally dismissed the case, stating that B.L. lacked standing since his son is now an adult and could bring his own case forward. He also ruled that any outstanding issues could only be resolved if the son filed a new case under his full name, not with anonymity.

"We are pleased with the federal court's decision to dismiss the lawsuit and excited about getting back to what we do best – the education of our children," Mountain Lakes School District Superintendent Michael J. Fetherman told Patch on Monday.