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Federal Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination in Horry County School

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… The mother of a South Carolina high school student has filed a federal lawsuit against the Horry County school district and three of its employees, alleging racial discrimination in the treatment of her 17-year-old daughter during her attempt to join the tennis team. The…

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The mother of a South Carolina high school student has filed a federal lawsuit against the Horry County school district and three of its employees, alleging racial discrimination in the treatment of her 17-year-old daughter during her attempt to join the tennis team.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court on March 16, 2024, alleges that the tennis coach at Green C. Floyds High School, Krysten Webster, allowed white girls on the team to use Crystal Dozier‘s daughter, referred to as “NC,” as “target practice” during tennis practice sessions.

The suit further claims that NC – who is black – faced escalating racial discrimination at Webster’s hands.

According to the complaint, NC’s distress over the alleged discriminatory behavior led her to withdraw from Green C. Floyds High School on January 24, 2024. The suit names not only coach Webster but also the school’s principal, Nick Harris, and assistant principal, Mary Price, as defendants.

The lawsuit outlines a series of events in which NC allegedly confronted Webster about the discrimination, only to be met with further mistreatment and verbal assault. Moreover, when Dozier was called to the school due to her daughter’s distress, she claims to have been misled by Harris and Price about the nature of NC’s behavior during the confrontation.

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Unbeknownst to the school officials, though, NC had recorded the conversation with Webster, providing evidence that contradicted the officials’ accounts. While Price admitted her deception and apologized, NC had already decided to remove herself from the tennis team.

The lawsuit further alleges that after Dozier wrote a letter to the school district in September 2023 complaining of racial discrimination, NC faced bullying at school, resulting in both physical and emotional harm.

Attorney Aaron Wallace of Columbia, S.C., is representing Dozier in the case, which seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees for the various harms suffered by NC, including reputational loss, emotional distress, mental anguish, humiliation, and embarrassment.

When reached for comment, Lisa Bourcier, Horry County Schools’ director of strategic communications, stated, “HCS does not comment on matters related to pending litigation.”

As this case progresses through the judicial system, FITSNews will continue to monitor and report on any further developments.

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THE FILING …

(U.S. District Court)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Callie Lyons (provided)

Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.

Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.

Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

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