'The View' host Sunny Hostin claims her children experienced racism at private schools

Sunny Hostin Highlights Racism and Funding Gaps for Black Students in Private Schools

In a Monday episode of the daytime talk show The View, co‑host Sunny Hostin raised concerns that her own children experienced racism and emotional distress while attending a predominantly White private school in New York City. She framed the discussion around Nikole Hannah‑Jones’ recent admission that her decision to send her daughter to a high‑poverty, predominantly Black public school in Brooklyn had not lived up to her expectations of equal opportunity.

Hostin, who grew up in a family of lawyers and later became a television personality, said she chose the Ethical Culture Fieldston School for her children because of its academic reputation. “They didn’t struggle academically, they excelled,” she told the audience, but added that the environment left her children with “different types of pain.” Hostin described bullying incidents—pencil‑in‑hair pranks, slurs such as “butter‑face,” and a broader identity trauma tied to the girls’ Afro hairstyle. She said the school’s well‑funded status did not shield her children from “psychological trauma” and “racism” that she felt were not being addressed.

“White schools are well resourced, but that does not mean they are free from systemic issues,” Hostin noted. She drew a comparison to the public‑school funding gap, citing that schools in predominantly non‑White districts receive roughly $23 billion less each year than their White counterparts, largely because funding is tied to local property taxes. “We need to look at the systemic problem that’s happening in this country around public education,” she said.

The conversation also touched on Hannah‑Jones’ decision to enroll her daughter in a Brooklyn school. In a separate piece, Hannah‑Jones expressed regret about that choice, emphasizing that her family’s situation was not representative of families who lack the resources to choose private schools. She urged the public to focus on those who “lack the resources to pursue better educational options” rather than on the choices of a small number of families.

When Fox News Digital reached out for comment, both ABC and the Ethical Culture Fieldston School declined to respond. Hannah‑Jones added in her response to the outlet that “there is no absolution to be had for any of us,” calling for a broader conversation about educational equity.

Hostin’s remarks come amid ongoing national debate over the benefits and drawbacks of private versus public schooling, as well as growing scrutiny of how property‑tax‑based funding perpetuates inequity. Whether the focus should remain on individual family decisions or on systemic reform continues to divide opinion, but the conversation underscores the complexity of navigating a racially divided education landscape.