Virginia Jibowu Sues London's King College For Allowing A Racist Environment

Former Kings College medical student Virginia Jibowu is suing the school for fostering a "hostile and humiliating" environment in which she claims she was subjected to racial slurs and physical bullying, directly contributing to her expulsion and destroying her prospects for a medical career, reports the London Evening Standard.

Jibowu is demanding £5.5 million in damages for harassment, discrimination and breach of contract, among other things.

The case was heard last week at the Central London county court, where Jibowu stated that her harassment was exacerbated by her placement in an extended course designed for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. She told the Telegraph in February of 2009, when she first introduced the case, that students in the program were forced to were badges which led to bullying by students on the standard track.

Jibowu says that one student went so far as to recommend bringing a fatal disease into Africa that would kill Africans and allow whites to colonize. Jibowu told the Telegraph that despite such blatant incidences of verbal abuse, "at no point has the college accepted that it was at fault for allowing an institutionally racist studying environment." She went on to say that "all of the alleged racists are now practising as doctors in the NHS [National Health Services]."

The college counters that Jibowu failed the exams that would allow her to practice medicine in the UK only because she was unprepared.

Jibowu's supporters have posted a petition online to help her with the case, which remains ongoing.

What do you think of Jibowu's claims? Share your thoughts in the comments section.