Throughout the 1957–58 academic year, the Little Rock Nine were frequently harassed at school, both verbally and physically, but it was Minnijean Brown who received a suspension notice from the Little Rock Public School administration on February 6, 1958, for attempting to resist the daily torment. During an argument with a fellow classmate, Brown had called the girl “white trash,” after which the student threw her large purse at Brown. School administrators expelled Brown; the white student went unpunished.
The school system claimed the expulsion was warranted, as she’d been given a warning to resist retaliation for any bullying after receiving a six-day suspension in December for dumping a bowl of chili on an abusive white male student. Brown’s parents appealed the suspension with a letter to the school board, stating that the repeated attacks against Minnijean represented a concentrated effort to have her expelled, and that she had to defend herself because school officials hadn’t intervened. The appeal was unsuccessful. However, this resulted in Minnijean's move to New York City where she flourished under the guardianship of renowned educational psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, and graduated on time at New Lincoln High School. Her classmates were not as fortunate as many lost the following year of schooling while the Little Rock Schools were closed to further debate the process of integrating their school system.