Eric Dickerson once ran for more yards in a single NFL season than anyone before him. Now the Hall of Famer and his family are fighting a different kind of battle, this time in a courtroom.
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According to a lawsuit obtained by the California Post, the Dickerson family is suing Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California, which charges nearly $48,000 a year in tuition. The lawsuit, filed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleged that the school failed to protect Dickerson’s sixth-grade son, who is African-American, from racial harassment and physical abuse during the 2024-25 school year. It identifies the boy only as DD. The school disputes the claims.
According to the complaint, DD’s classmates repeatedly used racial slurs against him. One student allegedly compared him to an animal during a school trip to the zoo. That same student was also known to bring a knife to campus, yet the lawsuit said administrators imposed no discipline for the harassment or the weapon.
The most humiliating episode allegedly came in music class, where students were discussing nicknames and the same student suggested a racist one based on DD’s last name. When he reported the nickname to his teacher, the lawsuit said the teacher called him a liar in front of the other students.
The lawsuit also alleges physical aggression. During lunch, a female classmate reportedly struck DD on the head, took his food, and emptied his water. The school reviewed video footage and confirmed the incident, but only gave the girl a verbal warning.
“Instead of stopping the abuse, the school allowed it to continue,” family attorney Robert Glassman told the California Post.
He said the family repeatedly asked the school to address the problem. Eric Dickerson and DD’s mother also met with Vice Principal Tamara Kuku, according to the complaint. They asked the school to address racist language and contact the parents of those involved, but the lawsuit alleged the school never acted on these suggestions. DD eventually left Oaks Christian and enrolled at another school. The lawsuit said he continues to struggle with emotional and developmental problems.
The family has accused the school of negligence, intentionally causing emotional distress, and violating California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by businesses.
In a statement, Oaks Christian said it is committed to the dignity of all students and will respond to the claims in court. It declined to share more details because the case involves minors.
The complaint also points to what it describes as a longstanding pattern of racism at the school. It cited a 2020 petition signed by more than 8,100 alumni that documented alleged racism against African-American students at the school over multiple years.
It also references ongoing litigation brought by another African-American student, who accused his classmates of using the N-word and threatening to lynch him. At the time, the school said it had acted quickly and firmly to address the harassment.
Dickerson, 66, played mainly for the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts. His 2,105 rushing yards in 1984 remain the NFL single-season record, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. Oaks Christian, for its part, has produced several NFL players, including New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet, and Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
The allegations remain unproven, and the school has said it will contest them.