John,

Today, I’m in Georgia joining fellow civil rights lawyer Harry Daniels, students, and their families to file a lawsuit against the Floyd County School District for racist disciplinary practices after a group of Black, white, and Latino students protested some shockingly racist behavior from white students.

Here’s what’s happening: At Coosa High School, a group of Black, white, and Latino students planned a peaceful protest when some of their white classmates were displaying the Confederate flag in school. The school refused to allow the protest and suspended the Black students.

But the pattern of racism doesn’t stop there, John. The district refused to act when white students reenacted George Floyd's murder on school property and posted it on social media. Students are also banned from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing, while Confederate flag attire is allowed under the dress code.

Being part of the team that is bringing forward this lawsuit on behalf of students who have experienced retaliation from their school for having the courage to stand up to racism is incredibly important to me. It is imperative that we confront racism and root out white supremacy everywhere we see it.

Join me in solidarity with these students as we let schools in Georgia and across the country know that we will not let them get away with this type of systemic racism.

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Whether in Georgia or in Massachusetts or anywhere in the US, we must take a clear stance against oppression and work together to root out systemic racism wherever we see it.

This is the type of civil rights work that I have taken on throughout my 23 year career as a labor and civil rights lawyer and it’s the same type of work I will continue as Massachusetts’ next Attorney General.

The racist system that got five Black students in Georgia suspended is the same system that contributes to mass incarceration in Massachusetts and across the country.

Our constitutional rights do not protect themselves. It takes brave, strong people like these 5 students to stand up against injustice. We hope this case will be a landmark case that sets a precedent – that racism and white supremacy have no place in our schools or in our society.

Sign onto our petition now to show these students that when they fight for justice, they do not fight alone. Let’s show that there are people across the country standing with them in this fight against the systemic racism that they and countless others have experienced.

In solidarity,

Shannon Liss-Riordan