Mother told son will affect racial balance of school.

When Sandra Tharp attempted to transfer her son Keith to a new school she wasn't prepared for the response she received from Welch Elementary. The letter read 'Student does not meet eligibility criteria for the following reason: transfer will adversely affect racial balance of school.'

Interim assistant superintendent at Welch, Richard Glatfelter, told 9news on the phone 'We have two categories. We have minority and we have white, the Welch population for minority students exceeds the district average by more than 15%. Northwest School District is under sanctions from the Ohio Civil Rights Commission because at some point in the district's history, a complaint was filed that our school was not adequately racially balanced.'

Sandra couldn't understand the ruling and believed her son could still attend because he is mixed-race and should be eligible to fit in either race category, but the school disagrees.

'It seems wrong,' says Sandra. 'I teach my son that everybody is equal and then the school that you send him to teaches him he can't go based on the colour of the skin he's got. 'He asked me why he couldn't go. I am not telling him he can't go because of the colour of his skin. I'm just not doing it.'

When 9News contacted the Public Affairs Office of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at their headquarters they were told there was no such ruling binding this district or any other by race under their name.

Is Sandra naive to think her son should be able to fit into either race category
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Source: WCPO.com