Eric Dickerson has filed a lawsuit against an elite California private school, alleging his young son endured a year of racist bullying while administrators ignored the family’s pleas for help.
The Hall of Fame running back, 66, accuses Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village of allowing sixth-grade students to repeatedly target his son with racial slurs, physical assaults and humiliating mockery throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week. The private nondenominational Christian college-preparatory school charges new students in grades five through 12 up to $47,930 in annual tuition and fees.
Robert Glassman, the family’s attorney, told the California Post that the boy’s family repeatedly informed school officials about the abuse and asked them to intervene. “Instead of stopping the abuse, the school allowed it to continue,” he said.
“No child should be subjected to racial harassment or physical violence at school while the adults entrusted with his safety fail to act,” Glassman added.
The lawsuit, which names the school as a defendant, accuses Oaks Christian of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violating California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. The complaint alleges that one student repeatedly called Dickerson’s son the N-word, including during a school-sponsored zoo field trip where the student compared him to an animal.
The same student allegedly carried a knife on campus, yet administrators imposed no discipline for either the harassment or the weapon, according to the filing. A female student also struck the boy in the head during lunch, took his food and deliberately poured out his water. The school reviewed video footage and confirmed the assault occurred, but merely spoke to the female student and told her not to do it again, the lawsuit claims.
The most degrading incident allegedly occurred during music class, when students discussed nicknames and the primary aggressor suggested calling Dickerson’s son “Ni–erson.” When the boy reported the incident, his own teacher accused him of lying in front of his classmates, according to the complaint.
Dickerson and the boy’s mother met with Vice Principal Tamara Kuku and proposed specific measures, including speaking with students about racist language and contacting the parents of those responsible, the lawsuit states. The school failed to implement any of these steps, according to the filing.
The boy eventually withdrew from Oaks Christian and enrolled elsewhere, though he allegedly continues to suffer emotional and developmental harm from the incidents.
The lawsuit points to what it describes as a broader pattern of racism at the institution. In 2020, more than 8,100 Oaks Christian alumni signed a petition documenting alleged racism and discrimination experienced by Black students over multiple years, according to the complaint. The filing also references ongoing litigation brought by another Black former student who allegedly experienced racial slurs, a mock slave auction and threats of lynching while attending the school between 2021 and 2024.
Oaks Christian has attracted numerous high-profile families over the years. Its alumni include Sofia Richie Grainge, daughter of singer Lionel Richie; Trey Smith, son of actor Will Smith; Nick Montana, son of NFL legend Joe Montana; Trevor Gretzky, son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky; former “Bachelor” star Peter Weber; and model Dree Hemingway, great-granddaughter of author Ernest Hemingway. The school also counts NFL players Kayvon Thibodeaux, Zach Charbonnet and Michael Pittman Jr. Among its former students, along with softball standout Maya Brady, niece of NFL legend Tom Brady.
Dickerson, who played mostly for the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts, set the single-season rushing record in 1984 with 2,105 yards. He was the first player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in seven consecutive seasons, and his 13,259 career rushing yards ranked second all-time when he retired in 1993. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Oaks Christian did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.