Republic School District faces racial harassment suit

Petition alleges racial, educational discrimination, inaction; district categorically denies claims
 
The Republic School District is being sued following accusations of racial discrimination toward a student.
A petition was filed in Greene County Circuit Court on Jan. 12 that names two people, Tyreke Williams and his mother, Allisha Hornbuckle, as plaintiffs. The petition alleges that Williams, an African American, received unfair treatment on the football team due to his race. It also said that he was bullied and called racial slurs by other students. Hornbuckle tried to convey this concern to staff to no avail. The plaintiffs are seeking damages.
The petition lists multiple occasions in which Williams is discriminated against on the basis of race, with other instances of bullying alleged also, many of these instances coming from Williams’s time on the football team. The lawsuit claims that Williams was treated differently from other players on the team, often suffering harsher treatment than white football players and beginning on Aug 30, 2021, his freshman year, he was often spoken to more harshly than the white football players. During this year, the document alleges that Williams faced racist comments from fellow teammates, calling him Tyrone; this would allegedly continue throughout the rest of his high school career. Players would also harass Williams by telling him he was only good at football because of his race. The petition claims that this treatment would continue until his later years.
The 65-page petition also alleges that the school did not adequately accommodate his disability through his 504 plan during his time there, with Hornbuckle asking repeatedly for more such measures.
A meeting in 2024 reportedly saw Hornbuckle being told by a school employee that the district had failed to provide resources in accordance with the 504 plan but that they would be addressed in the future.
In January of 2025, following her hiring of a private investigator, Hornbuckle received an email saying that her presence on school premises would be met with trespass charges. In that same month, Williams was allegedly assaulted by one of the white students who had previously harassed him. He was allegedly punched in the face. Williams told officers that the individual had been harassing him for some time and had attempted to fight him before.
Hornbuckle allegedly tried to report instances of harassment multiple times to the district with few measures allegedly being put into action. A no contact order was allegedly filed against one student who had harassed Williams before but it was breached multiple times.
In a statement to The Commonwealth, the district gave the following message.
“We are aware of the lawsuit that has been filed and categorically deny the allegations.
The Republic School District is committed to working in partnership with families to support positive learning experiences that shape students for future success. While we strive to resolve concerns through collaboration, meaningful resolution depends on respectful and constructive interactions. The district will not tolerate behavior that undermines the safety or well-being of students or staff, including threats, intimidation, or manipulation directed toward teachers, coaches, and administrators.
We are confident the facts of this case will be addressed through the legal process and will not comment further at this time.”