Former student sues Colorado school, alleging racial harassment and failure to respond to threats

A former student at Addenbrooke Classical Academy in Lakewood filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, alleging administrators at the Colorado school failed to protect him from months of racial harassment that escalated to threatening graffiti naming him and other students of color.

Jaylen Davis, now 18, alleges he and his mother repeatedly reported harassment to school leaders during his sophomore year. The complaint says he later learned from a classmate that his name appeared beneath racist graffiti that included a threat of sexual violence.

The lawsuit, filed Sept. 30 in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, names the public charter school, Principal John Byrne and former Executive Director Ric Netzer as defendants. It brings claims under Title VI, Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Davis was a 16-year-old sophomore during the 2024–25 school year when, according to the complaint, White classmates repeatedly subjected him to racial stereotypes and unwanted touching.

The lawsuit alleges students touched and played with his hair without permission, gave him a monkey-shaped stress ball and showed him a video featuring a person wearing a Burger King crown using a racial slur. Students later wore paper crowns to class and reenacted the scene in front of him, the complaint says.

Davis and his mother complained more than once to Byrne and Netzer between January and April 2025, according to the lawsuit. By Jan. 27, his mother had reported that students were touching him and expressed concern that he was becoming a target for bullying.

The complaint acknowledges administrators spoke with Davis after his mother's complaints but alleges they failed to adequately investigate or stop the harassment.

"They certainly didn't mention punishing, and we have no knowledge they did," Davis' attorney, Steven Murray, told CBS Colorado.

The lawsuit also alleges Netzer told Davis he could "hit, punch, or slug" the students targeting him.

"Now, just imagine if Jaylen would have done that. What do you think would have happened?" said Murray.

The complaint says the harassment escalated in May 2025, when racist and sexually threatening graffiti appeared on a wall in a boys' restroom.

Photographs included in the lawsuit show the phrases "slave auction" and "Blacks for sale," along with a threat of sexual violence using a racial slur. Student names are redacted.

In a signed declaration filed with the lawsuit, a former student says he entered the restroom around May 5 or 6, saw the graffiti and photographed it.

The former student says he saw the first names of five male students of color beneath the writing, with tally marks or checkmarks beside the names. He recognized Davis' first name.

His declaration also says the restroom had been closed but was briefly open while students moved between classes. It does not identify who wrote it.

According to the complaint, a classmate showed Davis a photograph. Davis called his mother, who came to the school and took him home.

"The school did not tell him about it. He only found out about it from a classmate," Murray said.

Murray pointed to the restroom closure as the basis for the allegation that school personnel knew. He said he did not know what happened to the other students named in the graffiti or whether police were contacted.

The complaint alleges that on May 6, Byrne told Davis' mother the school had painted over the graffiti and given "the boys" "some strong words of warning," while also saying the school did not know who wrote it.

That same day, Davis' mother told Byrne that her son did not feel comfortable attending an upcoming ceremony where he was supposed to receive an achievement award, according to the lawsuit.

Murray said Davis and his mother were never told whether anyone was disciplined or what steps were taken to protect him.

"Jaylen and his mom have no knowledge of them ever disciplining anyone or taking any steps to protect Jaylen," Murray said. The complaint alleges failures to investigate and provide protective measures.

The lawsuit's Title IX claim concerns the alleged response to the sexual threat. Its other claims allege racial harassment, a hostile educational environment and unequal protection.

In a statement provided to CBS Colorado through Jeffco Public Schools, Addenbrooke said it had not received formal service of a lawsuit and would address the matter through the courts.

"Addenbrooke Classical Academy (ACA) is aware of a press release regarding potential legal action against the school. While we have not received formal service of a lawsuit, our policy is not to comment on any potential or pending legal matters," the statement said.

"We can affirm that ACA, in partnership with Jeffco Public Schools, adheres strictly to all federal and state anti-discrimination laws and to district policies aligned with those legal standards. The ACA community is guided by upholding the equal dignity and rights of all individuals, and educating students with integrity and virtue to become exemplary citizens."

The statement continued: "Addenbrooke Classical Academy remains focused on maintaining a safe, supportive, and virtuous learning environment where every student can thrive. We will address this legal matter through the appropriate judicial channels."

Davis finished his sophomore year but did not return to Addenbrooke the following fall. The complaint says unresolved threats and the school's alleged failure to protect him made returning unsafe.

He completed his junior year online at home, according to the complaint, losing access to in-person classes, school activities and daily relationships with classmates and teachers.

Murray said Davis is taking his senior-year classes online as well.

"When a school district learns that a Black student is being harassed on the basis of race, they have a duty to act expeditiously, and they did not," said Murray.

Davis seeks compensatory damages for alleged educational losses, emotional distress and other harm, along with punitive damages against Byrne and Netzer, attorney's fees and other relief. He has requested a jury trial.