The family of a Black Long Island high school student is outraged after a white teacher reportedly made inappropriate remarks regarding the 17-year-old’s hair. This week, it was revealed that they have since filed a discrimination claim with New York state against the instructor.

Cindy Covington, the teen’s mother, claimed that the disrespect originated in her child’s cosmetology class at Sachem East High School. “She said, ‘So, if my hair is ethnic hair, then, you know, what type of hair do you have?’ And she told my daughter she had American hair, she had normal hair. She said to her, ‘Well, you know I’m American, too?'” Covington recalled of the alleged conversation with the Long Island teacher in an article published by CBS News on Wednesday (April 5).

“There are different textures of hair. I would love to know — what is ‘American hair’? What is that? I really would love to know. What is ‘normal’ hair?” the woman said to the outlet. She also noted that she contacted the school’s principal about the teacher, but that did not deter her alleged actions. Attorney Andrew Lieb is representing the family and spoke against the incident. “There’s coarse hair. There’s thin hair. The contrast to ‘American’ or ‘normal,’ saying they’re non-normal, non-American — what does that mean? And, number two, once the mom explains it to the school, for them to do nothing about it and it happens again implies that they were deliberately indifferent to her complaints,” he declared.

The suit has been filed with the New York Division of Human Rights, and the case could be protected under the state’s CROWN Act. In March 2022, the measure was passed by the House and banned any hair-related discrimination based on national origin or race. Dr. Christopher Pellettieri, the superintendent of schools, said the district was not formally made aware of the complaint but is reviewing the matter. “She felt like she was the outcast in the classroom. She felt uncomfortable. She wanted to leave the class. She started asking to wear wigs. She was constantly asking for her hair to be straightened,” Covington added.