NJ teacher allegedly sent Afro wig, white face paint to mixed-race student

A New Jersey teacher allegedly sent a 7-year-old mixed-race student an Afro wig and white face paint in an “act of intimidation,” according to a report.

Denise and Kevin Anderson accused Christine Rzasa, a second-grade teacher at Woodland School in Warren, of sending a package containing the wig and paint via Amazon on July 9, 2021, the Daily Beast reported.

It was addressed to their 7-year-old son, identified in a lawsuit filed by the family against the school district as “J.A.”

The package included no sender information, but the complaint states that Denise spoke with Amazon customer service and determined that Rzasa had ordered it.

The mom is Afro Latina and the dad is white.

Their son’s “appearance easily identifies him as a member of the mixed-race community,” the lawsuit reportedly states.

The Andersons allege that their complaints to Principal Jeff Heaney, the Warren Township School District and the school board were ignored.

Instead, J.A. was retaliated against in a “hostile education environment” after the alleged violation of the state’s harassment, intimidation and bullying laws, according to the Daily Beast.

“As a result, [J.A.] was so fearful, humiliated and intimidated that he suffered emotional and mental damages for which he had to receive therapy, change of schools and suffer other damages,” the complaint reportedly states.

“Rzasa’s conduct can be described as nothing short of outrageous,” it adds.

Warren Township police declined to investigate the matter and Amazon did not respond to a subpoena request, the outlet reported, citing the complaint.

Police did not immediately return the outlet’s request for comment.

The family accused the district of negligence for failing to take action and is seeking unspecified monetary compensation and sensitivity training for teachers.

Rzasa, Heaney, the school, district and board are all “being sued individually and in their official capacities,” according to the complaint.

Rzasa, who won the Governor’s Teacher of the Year award in 2006, did not respond to the Daily Beast’s requests for comment.

The district said it “rejects hate and racism in all forms.”

“The Board of Education and the individual employees deny the allegations in the Complaint and intend to vigorously defend the case,” spokesperson Shannon Regan told the outlet in a statement.

“At all relevant times, the Board of Education’s primary concern is the education and well-being of its students,” she added.