Teen expelled from school after mom complains about reading assignment

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte attorney says her Black son was kicked out of Providence Day School after she complained about a reading assignment.

Jamel Van Resalier’s ninth-grade English class was assigned to read “Fences” by August Wilson. The book contains several racial slurs, including the N-word on the first page.

Resailer’s mother, Faith Fox, was concerned over how her son would feel while the book was read aloud by his class, which is predominantly made up of white students.

“I’ve been that same student with one or two black kids in class,” she said. “It’s like you don’t want anyone to notice that you’re Black, that you’re the only one in the room. But you can feel everyone’s eyes on you.”

Fox emailed the school and eventually met with faculty members, who told her they would not remove the book. The student was given an alternate assignment.

School staff also told Fox she was the only parent who’d ever complained.

“But the very next day, I found out that moms and parents for at least the last three or four years had been complaining about the book. And it really sent me to a new level of disappointment with the school,” Fox said.

Fox sent another email, this time calling Providence Day’s director of equity and inclusion “a disgrace to the Black community” because she felt the director should have done more.

Ten days later, Fox received a letter from the school notifying her that her son was being withdrawn because of Fox’s “bullying … harassing … and racially discriminatory actions.”

Fox admits parts of her email and posts on social media were written in anger, but she stands by her words.

“I could not remain silent. I couldn’t just let this happen to him,” she said.

Channel 9′s Susanna Black reached out to Providence Day and found out the school would have been open to continuing a dialogue about the book if Fox had not sent the email.

Providence Day School also posted a statement on Facebook in response to Fox’s claims. Part of the statement reads:

“Uprooting a child from his school is not a decision I make lightly ... However, the enrollment agreement was terminated not because the parent complained or questioned the use of the book “Fences” in her child’s ninth-grade class. The action occurred because this parent continued a pattern of verbal harassment.”

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Cox Media Group