Virginia mother says white students told her Asian American son to sit at ‘separate’ table

An after-school game took a disturbing turn last week at Lyles Crouch Traditional Academy in Alexandria, Virginia.

Parent Kathryn Kelley claims a group of white students told her fifth-grade son, who is half-Asian, that he couldn’t sit with them.

“(They) were saying that the mixed-race kids had to sit at a table away from the white kids, and then the African-American and black kids had to sit even further away,” Kelley told NBC Washington. “They said they were segregated and couldn’t play with the white kids.”

Kelley says some students also teased students of color, based on their race and class.

“Of course it was very difficult. It was confusing. He was trying to figure out what was going on while trying to defend his friends and interrupt the situation, but not really knowing what to do,” Kelley said.

NBC Washington obtained a letter the school’s principal sent to parents Friday acknowledging “inappropriate play” in a “social studies lesson role-play” that put some students uncomfortable.

The letter said: “Students often wish to discuss troubling topics in class in a variety of ways, some of which may cause offense. This is certainly a challenge in educating our students and one that we need to be acutely aware of when difficult topics are presented.

Kelley believes action should have been taken.

“When kids learn these things, like segregation, the history of white supremacy in the United States, they have to learn that, they have to learn that, but it’s not a game, and they have to learn the seriousness of these things. things.”

In the letter to families, the school principal said she plans to work with her team to incorporate lessons about thinking before speaking and acting into the curriculum. The principal also said that the school community has a collective responsibility to ensure that all students feel valued and respected.

Greg Carr, professor of African American studies at Howard University, said, “I think we’ll get there by maybe starting with what kids know. »

Carr said lessons about inclusion can be simple, like asking children how they feel when they see TV characters who look like them. He also said guest speakers can be helpful.

“So a lesson about segregation could incorporate elders who lived through that time period,” Carr said. “You know the implications now, thanks to an elder who can tell you how much segregation hurts. »

It is not yet clear whether the students involved in the game were subject to disciplinary action. The principal, in her letter to parents, said she could not say.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com