Lawsuit Claims Black Horry County Tennis Player Subjected to ‘Target Practice’ by Teammates
In a distressing incident at Green Sea Floyds High School, a lawsuit claims a 17-year-old Black student was subjected to “target practice” by her peers on the tennis team. Filed by a Marion County woman, Crystal Dozier, and her daughter, referred to as NC, against Horry County School District and the school’s officials, the suit accuses them of racial discrimination.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial and cites violations of Title IV regarding race discrimination and harassment, retaliation, defamation, and civil conspiracy. Named in the complaint are the school’s principal Nick Harris, assistant principal Mary Price, and tennis coach Krysten Webster.
Dozier’s daughter, NC, joined the high school in February 2023 and expressed interest in joining the tennis team in July, following a Facebook ad. Despite previous academic interactions, Coach Webster initially ignored NC’s interest, attributed in the lawsuit to racial prejudice. It was only after Dozier’s intervention that NC was reluctantly allowed to join the team. However, upon Webster’s return from a trip, NC faced direct racial discrimination, being used as “target practice” by the team under Webster’s supervision.
The situation escalated when NC voiced her concerns, only to be rebuffed and berated by Webster, with subsequent mistreatment from other school officials, including being falsely accused of aggression and violence. Despite recording one such meeting, which led to an apology from Price, the school district’s investigation dismissed the bias as ignorance on Webster’s part.
Following these events, NC left the tennis team and, despite her mother’s formal complaints to the school board and district, continued to face bullying. The lawsuit highlights a grave issue of racial discrimination and the inadequate response from the school and district officials. Horry County Schools has not commented on the ongoing litigation.
