Virginia private school faces backlash after students reportedly played segregation game

Lyles-Crouch describes itself as a school which 'places racial equity at the center of everything that we do'

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The school board of Shenandoah County in Virginia voted to restore two schools' original names derived from Confederate generals. The school names were changed in 2020 by a vote from the same board.

A private school in Alexandria, Virginia is under scrutiny after students reportedly played a game in which Black students were segregated, on school grounds.

FOX 5 in Washington, D.C. reported that the incident took place at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy, which is described on the school’s site as a K-5 public school in Old Town Alexandria with a diverse student body.

According to reports, the students played the game during social studies and the school’s principal, Laura Burkart, told parents about the matter through a letter.

In the letter, Burkart reportedly described the game as inappropriate, though she did not apologize for the incident.

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Lyles Crouch Traditional Academy

Fourth-grade students at the Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy in Alexandria, Virginia, allegedly played a game that involved segregation. (Google Maps)

The station spoke with a parent off-camera, who said her African American daughter was a victim of the so-called segregation game.

The mother told the station Burkart did not apologize, though the students involved in the game did.

The fourth-grade students were at the playground during after-school hours when the game was played.

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Group of children in school

An image of students working in a classroom while a teacher speaks.  (iStock)

The mother said several white students told her daughter she could not enter their imaginary schoolhouse or play with them because she was Black.

When the mother met with Burkart, the principal reportedly got emotional. She also demanded that the students apologize to the mother’s daughter.

Still, the mother told the station that Burkart’s handling of the matter alienated her daughter even more.

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And it was not just her daughter who was involved. In fact, the station reported that several other minority children were allegedly excluded from playing with the White children.

Fox News Digital reached out to the school for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter @GregWehner.

Authored by Greg Wehner via FoxNews May 30th 2024