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School Does Nothing After Bullies Call 12-Year-Old Black Student an Ape and Pretend to Whip Her Like a Slave

Robert Ranco is demanding action against the children who taunted his daughter.

After a middle school in Texas reportedly did not take action against kids who used racist insults to bully a 12-year-old Black student, a frustrated father has taken matters into his own hands.

According to Robert Ranco, his daughter was repeatedly bullied by students at Tippet Middle School. And when the issue was brought up to administrators, no disciplinary action was taken, reported the Austin American-Statesman.

“It makes me feel like the school district is sweeping this under the rug,” Ranco told the Statesman. “Georgetown ISD has had a least a few suicides in the last five years resulting from bullying. … I don’t have that concern for my daughter, but I’m sure other parents didn’t think their kids were suicidal, either.”

The incidents at the Georgetown school happened on three different occasions.

Back in March, Ranco's daughter was followed by a girl on the tennis court. The unidentified girl held a long piece of garbage and reportedly pretended to whip her while shouting, “You’re my slave now!” However, no one at the school saw the incident and no action was taken.

Later in the month, a male student was involved with a lunchtime altercation with Ranco's daughter. When she tried to get someone else to confront the student, he said, “You’re not really going to take the word of a Black person over the word of a white person, are you?”

Then in May, the same girl who had pretended to whip Ranco’s daughter entered a classroom and asked a boy why he was sitting in another seat.

“Because I don’t sit next to apes,” the boy replied as he moved away from her, the school report stated.

The girl then pulled up a picture of an ape on her phone and told her, “This is what you look like.”

“That’s racist and mean,” Ranco’s daughter said.

The girl kept harassing her by showing other pictures of apes and asking other students if they looked like her.

Although the school has not commented, it said students who engaged in "inappropriate behaviors” received “additional re-teaching.”

On his Facebook page, Ranco thanks other parents for their support.

“I've had lots of parents tell me they can't believe this is 'still happening today' but that they've been inspired to have difficult discussions with their children about racism and bullying as a result of [her] situation,” he posted.

“That's really gratifying. Proud of my baby for speaking up and thankful for supportive family friends...and strangers who have come forward to be supportive.”

Note: Robert Ranco requested his daughter's name remain private

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