Nationwide — Karis Stoudamire-Phillips and her husband, Mike, two African American parents from Portland, Oregon, raised concerns after their son was called a racial slur at The Madeleine School. However, the situation escalated into a police response and ended with their son being expelled, drawing strong community reaction.
The incident reportedly happened on March 31, when the couple’s fourth-grade son returned from recess, and school staff informed the family about what had been said. The parents immediately went to the school to meet with the principal, but the discussion quickly fell apart. School leaders asked them to leave the campus, and when they refused, staff called the police.
The family said this was not an isolated issue. They pointed to earlier concerns involving racial incidents tied to their older child and said trust in school leadership had already been damaged. The mother also said she had been advocating for stronger racial equity policies while remaining active in the school community.
According to Atlanta Black Star, police arrived after reports that the parents were arguing with staff and not leaving the premises. The father later spoke with officers outside and said he cooperated to avoid further escalation. In the following days, school officials said students questioned in the case denied hearing the slur and suggested the child may have misinterpreted what was said.
Reports from families involved also indicated that at least one witness account from another student was not fully accepted during internal discussions. In one meeting, the principal reportedly questioned the child’s version of events and suggested counseling connected to prior anti-bias education.
Not long after, the school emailed the family stating their son would no longer be enrolled, describing the decision as a “termination of partnership.” This came while the parents were still awaiting disciplinary action against the student accused of using the slur.
The decision sparked a strong reaction from the school community. Several dozen parents signed a letter calling for the student’s reinstatement, and some families chose to withdraw their children from the school. Another Black family also raised separate concerns, saying similar racist incidents in the past had not been properly addressed.
The parish priest overseeing the school later said he was open to discussion about the matter. The Phillips family responded with demands including a public apology, an independent investigation, staff training on racial bias, and changes to school policies to prevent similar disputes.