Houston County parents file complaint over use of ‘N’ word

KATHLEEN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The parents of two Houston County high school students are fighting back after their daughters were called the “N” word by a coach last October.

“People were already reporting that he was saying things that was inappropriate to their children,” said mother Antwishia Thomas. “And if they would have nipped it in the bud right then and there it wouldn’t have spread like a cancer.”

Antwishia Thomas and Cortese Walker are filing a civil rights complaint against the Houston County School District.

They accuse Daniel Satterfield, a coach associated with the school and husband of the school’s former head cheer coach, of using the racial slur.

“He said it,” said Cortese Walker, another mother of a Veterans High student. “His wife then retaliated for him, on his behalf, because of you know that’s her husband and they conspired to cover it up.”

Satterfield no longer works with the high school but the parents aren’t too sure.

“How was he allowed to return December 3rd to say I’m back,” shared Walker.

The women say the school has done nothing.

“They said we are sorry you all experienced this but we don’t know what to tell you,” the women add.

Thursday, 41NBC spoke to a child therapist to see how racially charge incidents can impact youth.

“Egocentric meaning that it’s all about them,” said child therapist Anne Bradford. “So if they hear it enough they’re going to start to believe it.”

Both Thomas and Walker say their daughters did not want to speak up in fear of retaliation.

“So if I tell that. I’m going to get in trouble,” said Bradford. “But the brain is not to the point where it’s able to say I don’t know that’s wrong.”

Bradford says that’s common especially as a child or teen. The therapist says the best thing to do is to build trust with your child and give them positive re-enforcement.

“Build that alliance with them so that they know that if anything happens it’s there a safe place to go to they can go to mom, dad, grandma whoever and say this is happening and I need some help with it.”