Lawsuit: Black Tennis Player Used For 'Target Practice'

In today’s episode of Existing In Predominately White Sports While Black, the mother of a Black high school student in South Carolina, has filed a federal lawsuit against Horry County Schools after her daughter alleged that the schools’ white tennis coach subjected her to “racial animus” by allowing white students to use her as “target practice” during try-outs.

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According to WBTW, the Black student’s mother, Crystal Dozier, filed the lawsuit on March 16 in the U.S. District Court in Florence, S.C. The suit names as defendants Horry County Schools and Green Sea Floyds High School’s principal, vice principal and tennis coach. In the court filing, Dozier claims that on July 28, 2023, the tennis coach posted an ad on Facebook for students to apply for the school’s team, and the teen identified only as “NC” was interested.

Dozier claims that their child messaged the coach about joining the team, but they refused to respond, the lawsuit said, which alleges the coach’s refusal was because of “racial animus” against African American students.

WBTW adds that Dozier claimed that NC was allowed to participate with all of the other players while the coach was out of town, but when the coach returned NC was “immediately beset with racial discrimination” as the coach allegedly allowed the other girls, who were all white, to use NC as “target practice” throughout each day’s practice.

Dozier who said the coach also acted disrespectfully to her, also alleged that the coach “berated” her daughter when she expressed concerns about racial discrimination and alleged that Green Sea Floyds’ vice principal “immediately disregarded” her complaints and “verbally assaulted” the teen during a meeting.

The lawsuit adds that Dozier later stepped in and was “cornered in an office” by the assistant principal and the school’s principal who “lied and defamed” her daughter by indicating she was aggressive and violent during their prior meeting, reports WBTW.

The administrators also allegedly said they “do not see race” at Green Sea Floyds High School which NC withdrew from in January.

To add insult to all of that alleged injury, the lawsuit claims an investigator with the district looked into the allegations of racial discrimination and determined that there was racial bias, but that the coach “did not know any better.”

So, basically, a Black girl could have been dissuaded from possibly becoming the next Serena Williams or Naomi Osaka, and the racist coach responsible isn’t responsible because a grown adult didn’t understand how racist her racism was.

Dozier’s lawsuit seeks a jury trial and an unspecified amount of damages and punitive damages.