Severn Park High School Shooting Suspension

The family of a Severn Park High School student suspended for taking selfie administrators told them was blackface have filed suit against the Anne Arundel County schools system in an effort to erase her suspension from her record, saying their daughter wasn’t actually wearing blackface.

Abruzzo says the incident is being investigated.

On Monday, a school principal sent home a letter informing parents that Anne Arundel County School System officials are investigating an online video purportedly depicting Severn Park High School students bullying a classmate with special needs. She described this behavior as unacceptable and took this issue very seriously at school.

Darrell Letike Hamilton of Ellicott City’s 10000 block of Old Frederick Road suffered multiple gunshot wounds before succumbing to them and passing away at the scene. Police continue their search for his perpetrator.

After their daughter was suspended in 2021 for taking a selfie wearing blackface, their parents filed this second lawsuit against the Severn Park school board to expunge her record and apologize publicly – as well as guarantee that any new schools she may attend won’t get information regarding their suspension.

In their initial lawsuit, the parents sought $4 Million in damages, but that case was dismissed last month. Now they are seeking $150,000.

Abruzzo boasts an impressive legal career. For nearly ten years, she served as deputy attorney general at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and as one of its premier labor attorneys. Additionally, she filed numerous cases against companies for unfair labor practices, such as those that retaliate against employees who support unions.

Recently, the National Labor Relations Board ruled to allow fast-food restaurant employees to form unions that could raise wages. Abruzzo is a leader in this effort and believes the NLRB’s decision will improve working American lives.

While the National Labor Relations Board’s decision is an enormous victory for workers, its effects won’t become visible for some time yet. Abruzzo will continue fighting tirelessly on behalf of workers.

On October 17, 2016, officers responded to an open area near Long Leaf Way in Severn, Maryland, in response to reports of a deceased male. On arrival, officers located 52-year-old Jay Steven Fayne suffering from trauma throughout his body; Mr. Fayne resided nearby and had become known for lending out money when others needed it.

He was also well-known as a bodybuilder in his community. Investigators state he was shot with a handgun and that the incident is being treated as a possible homicide investigation. A suspect wearing a dark-colored jacket and black baseball cap pointed a gun at him during a walkout break before shooting him multiple times before fleeing from the scene; no further information regarding a possible suspect description has been made public by OCPD.

Abruzzo urges parents to have a conversation with their kids.

Principal Lindsey Abruzzo announced Monday at a public forum for parents that the Severna Park High School student seen bullying a classmate with disabilities was expelled after cellphone footage spread on social media of them using derogatory terms against people with disabilities – such as racist epithets and abusive terms for them – including using them racist terms for disability as part of his bullying tactics, according to Abruzzo.

She suggested parents speak with their kids about bullying and remind them it’s unacceptable behavior, while students should speak up if they see someone being bullied and that the school will always support them.

Parents need to play an active role in their child’s education, including discussions of sensitive topics like race and politics that can often make parents queasy – such as sexual education or where babies come from. Many rely on school health classes and social studies courses to impart knowledge on this matter.

Stanford researchers recently conducted studies that revealed that, following George Floyd’s murder by police officers in 2020, Black parents discussed racism with their children more. Meanwhile, White parents did not follow suit and instead provided more colorblind messages to their kids.

Abruzzo says the incident is unacceptable.

On a cell phone video featuring racist epithets and profanity, a student at Severna Park High School in Anne Arundel County can be seen verbally bullying a classmate with special needs. According to their principal, this incident took place some time ago but only came to light through social media outrage this week; according to their principal’s letter sent home with parents this week, this teenager also made threats of violence toward herself and other students, although none were identified in the video footage.

Abruzzo says she finds this incident unacceptable and is reaching out to both the victim’s family and teen record to provide support and assess whether violating her privacy rights was necessary, according to Abruzzo. Abruzzo urges parents and students alike to report any safety concerns to school officials immediately rather than waiting until it hits the news and reporting it anonymously on Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line 833-MD-B-SAFE for resolution.

Parents of a Severna Park High School student suspended in 2021 for what administrators believed to be blackface selfies have filed a new lawsuit seeking $150,000 in damages from the school system, arguing the face paint used was gold, not black, and that school officials failed to protect her free speech and First Amendment rights. This new suit comes six months after federal courts dismissed their previous $4 million complaint against school board officials.

Parents want the school to erase the suspension from their daughter’s record, print and publish a public apology for students at her high school, and ensure no other schools receive information regarding it. They fear it could harm her chances of college acceptance, though her school system – which ranks third in Baltimore by U.S. News – has yet to make a public statement regarding this case. Parents have written to the newspaper seeking information on the topic of their daughter, which occurred at Severna Park High School (1700 block of Disney Road, Severna Park). The high school serves students from Severna Park, Annapolis, and portions of Millersville and Pasadena in Anne Arundel County. Since 1995, when Anne Arundel County conducted its school redistricting initiative, its boundaries have remained the same. Approximately 1,300 students are enrolled across four feeder middle schools and six elementary schools.