The allegations, denied by the school, have now escalated into a heated dispute involving claims of institutional negligence, racism, cover-up, and, on the other side, counter-accusations of defamation and reputational damage.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

A Lagos-based Chinese woman, Mrs Sizhen Chen, has accused Charterhouse Lagos in the Lekki area of the state of failing to protect her eight-year-old daughter (name withheld) from repeated racist bullying barely 48 hours after she resumed Year 4 at the elite private school.

Charterhouse Lagos is one of Nigeria’s most expensive and high-profile private schools.

The allegations, denied by the school, have now escalated into a heated dispute involving claims of institutional negligence, racism, cover-up, and, on the other side, counter-accusations of defamation and reputational damage.

Chen, through her lawyer, Festus Ogun, Managing Partner at FOLEGAL, detailed a series of alleged incidents that occurred on September 18 and 19, 2025, claiming that her daughter was “harassed, bullied, intimidated” and subjected to racial slurs, including “loser,” “Chinko,” “stupid,” and “everyone hates you,” by groups of pupils from Years 4 to 6.

According to Chen, the first incident happened just five hours after her daughter arrived for her first day, at exactly 8:30 a.m.

She alleged that about 10 pupils surrounded her daughter in the playground and verbally abused her “in a very spiteful and malicious manner,” causing the child to shut her eyes and wave her hands in helpless defence.

Chen’s daughter, a Nigerian-Chinese born in Nigeria, was reportedly forced by a teacher to apologise, while the bullies faced no disciplinary action.

The following day, Chen said a second group of eight pupils confronted her daughter at the indoor playground.

During the confrontation, one child allegedly told Chen’s daugter, “remove your stinky hand from my water bottle,” a comment Chen described as racist.

Despite the severity of the incidents, Chen accused the school of failing to intervene, stating that the teachers on duty “stood by onlooking” and did not protect the child.

She further alleged that the Primary School Headteacher attempted to “shift blame” onto her daughter, mischaracterised the bullies’ racist remarks as though they were her daughter’s, and focused instead on “attitude issues” later proven untrue by the class teacher.

Chen said Charterhouse refused her request for CCTV footage, insisting that staff claimed they “did not know who the bullies were.”

She described the school environment as “extremely hostile and toxic,” adding that her daughter now feels unsafe and emotionally distressed.

Her legal representative argued that Charterhouse breached its statutory obligations under the Child Rights Act 2003, the Nigerian Constitution, and the 2025 National Policy on Anti-Bullying by failing to protect the child, investigate transparently, or discipline the perpetrators.

However, in an official response signed by its Government Liaison and Legal Manager, Adetayo Adeyemo, Charterhouse Lagos “categorically” denied that any bullying took place.

The school claimed that its investigations showed that Chen’s daughter “made racially insensitive remarks on two separate occasions” toward Nigerian students, triggering “verbal exchanges” that it described as mutual provocation rather than targeted bullying.

The school rejected all claims of discriminatory conduct, insisting that it hosts a diverse student population, including “several of Chinese origin, who coexist harmoniously.”

The school said it had taken disciplinary action against students who used inappropriate language but could not release CCTV footage because it contained images of other minors, citing data protection laws.

The school further accused Chen of damaging its reputation by sharing an audio recording and detailed accusations with bloggers and social media platforms, stating it had chosen not to pursue legal action initially “in the spirit of goodwill.”

It also said it offered a full refund of all fees if the family wishes to withdraw the child.

In a subsequent legal memorandum filed by the school’s lawyers, Charterhouse alleged that Chen’s social-media publications, both in Nigeria and China, were “false, unfounded, malicious,” and had caused “irreparable reputational damage.”

The school demanded that Chen retract her statements, procure takedowns of online posts, issue public apologies, and pay N200 million in damages.

Failure to comply, the school warned, would lead to a full lawsuit seeking N1 billion in general damages, a perpetual injunction restraining further publications, N50 million in legal costs, and court orders compelling retractions and public apologies.

Despite the adversarial tone, the school stated it remains open to “amicable settlement” if Chen complies with its demands.

But Chen maintains that her daughter remains traumatised and refuses to return to Charterhouse due to “continuous harassment, intimidation, and racial abuse,” alleging institutional complicity and a cover-up.

She called on the Lagos State Ministry of Education to conduct an independent investigation on the matter, compel the school to apologise, and ensure disciplinary action against the pupils and staff involved.