A mother is trying to sue Pine Valley School District over alleged abuse of her two children that she says contained racist and sexual overtones over a period of seven years.

The OBSERVER sought comment from the Pine Valley school district on the case, but its phone call was not returned. Robert Connor of McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intocca PC of Syracuse is representing the school district in the lawsuit. A legal response has not been filed as of June 17.

The woman is seeking $5.5 million in damages. Her lawyers filed a petition to serve a late notice of claim, stating that “cause of action did not accrue until Jan. 9, 2026, when psychiatric evaluations established causation.”

The filing alleges “seven years of documented abuse, discrimination, sexual assault, and retaliation by (the) school district against two minor students, resulting in permanent psychological injury, permanent physical scarring, multiple suicide attempts, and total destruction of educational opportunities.”

Under the heading “The Proof,” “written, racist email from staff” is alleged. “Body camera footage of false injury claims” is also mentioned, as are mediation records, a hearing finding, and psychiatric evaluations.

The filing goes on to allege that “beginning in the 2019 school year and continuing through January 2025, petitioners… were subjected to severe ongoing abuse, discrimination, harassment based on sexual orientation and race, physical assault, and deliberate indifference by Pine Valley school employees, and students at all levels from staff members to the principal to the superintendent, while school administrators actively covered up the abuse, retaliated against the family for reporting it, and failed to take any meaningful corrective action, despite petitioners’ repeated attempts to protect her children.”

Some incidents alleged in the court filing include:

— A staff member allegedly emailed one of the students that she “could fit in better here if you tried harder to look less Mexican, maybe you should cut and dye (your) hair.”

— The superintendent at the time, Brianna Booth, reportedly made discriminatory statements about the children in a meeting, referring to them as “kids like these.” The meeting was “attended by mental health specialists who were so offended they challenged the discrimination and left.”

— One of the students was subjected to repeated bullying, including physical attacks, while administrators promised to find alternative educational placement for him but failed to do so. The student tried to harm himself on more than one occasion — but the district allegedly failed to act on that, too.

— The mother of the students, who is looking to file the lawsuit, was allegedly told by Principal Kourtney Almedia that if her children wanted people to stop bullying them, they should “reconsider their sexual preferences.” One of the students subsequently punched the principal over that remark, for which she was arrested on assault charges. However, “it was judicially determined that Principal Almedia did not suffer the extent of the injuries she claimed.” The charges were ultimately reduced.

— The female student was allegedly pushed up against a locker by a former teacher, identified as “Mr. (Robert_ Slisz,” who told her that he “could turn her straight.” When her mother reported it, administrators allegedly said the incident was in the student’s head and she must be “delusional.” An emergency room evaluation of the student determined that she was not fabricating the incident. Slisz was subsequently charged in January for alleged inappropriate sexual behavior with students.

— The Pine Valley school district allegedly tried to have the mother forced into in-patient hospital psychological evaluations by claiming she was a danger to herself and the school.

— The school district allegedly failed to follow through on a 2022 mediation to resolve the issues, and the abuse allegedly continued until 2025.

— Psychiatric professionals, according to documents filed as part of the complaint, determined in January that depression, PTSD, and severe anxiety in both the mother and her students “were caused by the trauma inflicted by Pine Valley school.”