‘Blacks for Sale’: Colorado student says his name appeared in ‘slave auction’ graffiti, then alleges school hid the racism and threats

A school in Lakewood, Colorado, is facing a civil rights lawsuit after a former student alleged that the school concealed incidents of racism and threats and failed to take appropriate action. The repeated harassment and threats due to his race supposedly prompted the student to leave the school and file a case with the U.S. District Court in Colorado.

Atlanta Black Star reported that Jaylen Davis, who was 16 years old during his time at Addenbrooke Classical Academy in 2025, claimed he had been the target of racial harassment by fellow students. Davis’ lawsuit named several instances of stereotypes and racist remarks, such as finding his name and the names of other people of color written under a “slave auction” and “Blacks for Sale” graffiti.

Students allegedly wore Burger King hats and shouted, “Throw the n***** off the plane!” Another time, Davis said a classmate told him he would “return” to KFC when he died. His lawsuit also alleges that a fellow student gave him a stress ball shaped like a monkey, and he was asked if he “sagged,” a term referring to wearing pants low to reveal underwear, often associated with the Black community. Davis also reportedly experienced unwanted physical contact from peers.

Colorado officials allegedly fails to protect student

Davis and his mother, Jozette, claimed to have submitted complaints to the school’s principal, John Byrne, and executive director, Ric Netzer, who are both named as defendants in the lawsuit, about the alleged harassment between January and April 2025. However, according to the lawsuit, their complaints were met with silence despite district policy.

The lawsuit also accuses the two officials of deliberately concealing the racism by locking the restroom doors and painting over the graffiti instead, in addition to failing to inform Davis and his mother about the alleged threats. Steven Murray, the Davis family’s attorney, told Colorado Public Radio that “essentially, what they did, they protected the interests of the white students that were doing the harassing.”

The students accused of racism and harassment allegedly did not face any repercussions and were only told “strong words of warning,” per the lawsuit. Due to the lack of action from school authorities, the Davis family was left in limbo until Jozette decided to withdraw her son from the school, stating it “was neither safe nor reasonable,” and enrolled him in online classes instead.

According to the lawsuit, however, the change in learning environment resulted in Davis losing learning opportunities, friendships, and social development, as well as being unable to build his academic and extracurricular record. The family claimed that the harassment and hostile environment violated Davis’ civil rights due to Addenbrooke’s “deliberate indifference” and failure to uphold Title IX.

Davis family seeks compensation for losses

Now, Davis is seeking compensatory damages for the losses he suffered as a result of not being able to attend school in person, including emotional distress, suffering, pain, and future economic harm. Davis also seeks punitive damages against Byrne and Netzer, whom the lawsuit argues cannot claim qualified immunity.

Addenbrooke and the Jeffco Public School District issued a joint response to the lawsuit, stating that they have not yet been formally served. The district also maintains that it complies with all federal and state anti-discrimination laws.

“Addenbrooke Classical Academy remains focused on maintaining a safe, supportive, and virtuous learning environment where every student can thrive,” the school said. “We will address this legal matter through the appropriate judicial channels.”

Meanwhile, according to SchoolDigger, Addenbrooke’s student body is 57% white and only 0.5% Black.

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