Milwaukee school board, principal sued for allegedly abusing student with gay parents

A federal lawsuit has been filed in Wisconsin against the Milwaukee Board of School Directors and Kasongo Kalumbula, a principal in the Milwaukee Public Schools system, over claims of verbal and physical abuse targeted at a student because his parents are gay.

The legal action, brought forth last Thursday by parents on behalf of their minor child, identified only as G.L., alleges a distressing pattern of discrimination that spans several years, starting when G.L. was in first grade.

According to the complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Kalumbula, who served as an assistant principal at the time, is accused of using homophobic slurs, locking the child in a dark room, and threatening his life if he disclosed the punishments. The lawsuit details an incident where Kalumbula allegedly told G.L. that his parents would “burn in hell” and referred to them using derogatory terms.

According to his parents, the impact of these actions has been profound on G.L., necessitating ongoing psychiatric treatment for trauma and anxiety, the lawsuit claims. The parents’ repeated attempts to seek intervention from the school and district officials reportedly led to no substantive action. Instead, the lawsuit accuses MPS of promoting Kalumbula despite being aware of the complaints.

Seeking compensatory and punitive damages, the lawsuit stresses violations of the constitutional rights of G.L. and his parents, including their right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment and protection against retaliatory actions for their complaints under the First Amendment. The case also raises allegations of excessive force and unreasonable seizure against G.L., pointing to a disturbing misuse of authority by Kalumbula.

The lawsuit implicates MPS policies, alleging that the district’s failure to address and prevent discriminatory behavior by its staff contributed to the environment that allowed the alleged abuse to occur.

Milwaukee Public Schools has not commented on the ongoing litigation, citing policies against discussing individual student and personnel matters, CBS affiliate WDJT reports. Attempts by the outlet to reach Kalumbula for comment have been unsuccessful.