Isabella Rexach-Moore, a disabled Long Island high school student, is suing the Middle Country Central School District for their alleged inaction following an investigation into her teacher’s racist remarks.
According to a report from the NY Post, the 18-year-old senior, who attends Centereach High School, has accused her math teacher, Jennifer Brunet, of consistently targeting her. Rexach-Moore alleges that since last September, Brunet has consistently verbally attacked her because of her race, the clothes she wore, and her condition which requires special accommodations. In addition to her bipolar issues, Rexach-Moore reportedly suffers from anxiety and depression and accuses Brunet of exacerbating her condition due to repeatedly bullying her last year. The teen accuses Brunet of calling her a “slut” and complaining about “black kids always being absent.” She maintains the fact that she is the only Black student in the class. In a news conference on March 16, Rexach-Moore’s attorney Vess Mitev said Brunet also told his client, “‘if you dress like a slut and I call you out for being a slut, I guess that would make me a racist.'”
On another occasion on October 26, Rexach-Moore says Brunet singled her out again after she wore a shirt that exposed her midriff. The teen alleges Brunet told her “I was going to wear that same outfit, but I couldn’t because I would be violating the dress code too.” However, Rexach-Moore says other students were wearing similar shirts and that another school official confirmed her attire as appropriate and did not violate the student dress code.
“Like four other girls that were white, and nothing was said to them, but it was said to me,” Rexach-Moore said.
A report from ABC 7 NY details that Rexach-Moore filed a complaint with the Middle Country School District (MCSD) about Brunet under the Dignity for all Students Act (DASA) state law — which is typically used to combat bullies. The district purportedly interviewed several of the teen’s classmates in their internal probe, according to the lawsuit. However, Rexach-Moore alleges that the school district failed to do anything following their investigation, which did indeed find Brunet in violation of school policies based on her complaints. However, in a statement from MCSD, the district described the incident as a “personnel issue,” in which “confidentiality applies.” The superintendent of the district, Dr. Roberta Gerold also said in a statement that “all action taken was in compliance with the guidelines of DASA and applicable law.”
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Rexach -Moore and her family are now threatening to file a multi-million dollar lawsuit in order to get rid of the teacher she accuses of terrorizing her.
“We are asking today that the district immediately suspend the teacher,” said Mitev.
Rexach-Moore, who has not been present in her math class since last December, has been dealing with a situation that she claims has made her feel diminished amid her final year of high school.
“It made me feel little,” she said. “I felt like everyone’s eyes were on me because this wasn’t happening to anyone else.”
Watch a report on the ongoing situation below.