The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) has reached a tentative settlement with Laura Collins-Williams, the district’s former assistant superintendent for student services, in her lawsuit against the district.
The suit alleged that Collins-Williams, who is Black, faced racial discrimination and a hostile work environment, and that she was retaliated against for complaining about her treatment.
A minute order submitted by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Cherol J. Nellon’s clerk stated that the case was tentatively resolved pending final approval by the BHUSD Board of Education.
The case was scheduled to go to trial in June.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Collins-Williams’ complaint, which was filed in January 2024, described a “culture of racism” at BHUSD. In March 2022, she complained to the superintendent that white students were allegedly making racist comments to Black students. The suit additionally points to a January 2023 Instagram post marking Black History Month by featuring 28 slides depicting Black people being unjustly murdered.
The complaint alleges that Collins-Williams was overlooked for a deputy superintendent position, which was then filled by a white woman who lacked any applicable experience.
It further states that Collins-Williams was treated differently than white male assistant superintendents by members of the BHUSD Board and district personnel, including being subject to “undue, excessive scrutiny, humiliating inquiries and insinuations of improprieties, even regarding the most mundane administrative issues.”
She contends that a reorganization of her department conducted by the district was done in retaliation for her complaints. In the reorganization, a new director position was created to replace Collins-Williams’ three coordinator positions. A white male was hired as the director.
Collins-Williams is not the only individual to describe a culture of racism at BHUSD. In October 2025, the California Department of Education determined that race-based bullying and a racially hostile environment existed in the district.
Additionally, former BHUSD employees Natonda “Bella” Ivory and Jarvis Turner, both of whom are Black, filed a lawsuit against the district in April 2025 alleging racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
That complaint states that Turner alerted school officials multiple times to racist comments made towards him by members of the community on social media, in emails, in phone calls and in person, and that Ivory was subject to ongoing discrimination and harassment, including being cursed at, refused service in the cafeteria and told to be “meek, passive, and compliant with white counterparts.”
As of press time, attorneys representing Collins-Williams and BHUSD did not respond to requests for comment, nor did representatives for BHUSD personnel.
With City News Service
