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Michelle Obama’s Brother Sues Private School Over Allegations Of Racism

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Leena Nasir Entertainment Reporter
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Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson, and his wife Kelly, will be taking legal action against the University School of Milwaukee (USM) after concerns about racism in the curriculum led to the dismissal of their children.

The Robinsons allege that they became privy to elements of a racially charged curriculum in 2021 after they overheard the lessons their children were receiving during COVID-19, according to the Daily Mail. They claim that after airing their concerns to the school, their children were expelled, they said during an interview with Good Morning America.

Craig Robinson spoke of how his children were affected by this situation, declaring this was an example of the school “retaliating against them because of the issues that we brought up.”

Craig Robinson alleged that, while his children attended the Wisconsin school virtually during the pandemic, he overheard details he found troubling. “There were repeated use of racial and ethnic stereotypes that were in actual assignments,” he said.

“The use of the word ‘plantation’ and things of that nature. In addition to the racial and ethnic stereotypes, there was an insensitivity to socioeconomic status,” he continued. (RELATED: Biden Says Michelle Obama Was Vice President During Speech)

Kelly Robinson revealed that their story “resonated with many families in the community.” She detailed a story shared with her about a troubling incident which allegedly occurred at the school 10 years ago.

“The University School of Milwaukee had in their fourth-grade curriculum, that students reenacted the underground railroad, and students dressed up as slaves and ran through the school in the dark and the teachers were actually the slave masters who captured these students,” she said.

After sharing their concerns with the school, the Robinsons claim that rather than continuing the conversation, the school issued a letter to the family notifying them that their children, ages 11 and 9 at the time, were being dismissed from the institution, according to the TMZ. The school cited a “complete breakdown in your family’s trust of and respect for USM,” according to legal documents cited by TMZ.

The Robinsons have declared their children were “model students” and believed they had taken proper steps to resolve the concerns they had with the curriculum, according to TMZ.

“We want to hold the University School of Milwaukee accountable not just to our two children who they retaliated against, but more importantly, there’s a whole community of people who are out there that we wouldn’t feel right if this happened moving forward,” Robinson said.

They are now suing for breach of contract and racial discrimination, according to TMZ.

The Robinson family was reportedly paying $23,130 for their younger child to attend third grade at USM, and $24,640 for their son who was in fifth grade, according to Daily Mail.