Homeless child who was called N-word and spit on is moved from shelter after threats

A homeless family in Elmhurst, New York was forced out of the shelter where they were living after their child was called the N-word and spit on at school.

DNAinfo New York reported that neighborhood children approached the unnamed child while he was standing at his Intermediate School 5 locker last month.

According to the report, the child was spit on, called the N-word and branded the "dirty kid from the Boulevard," which refers to the Boulevard Shelter where the child and his family were staying.

The boy later returned to the school and stood up to his attacker at the urging of his friends. The confrontation escalated when the attacker's friends "circled the school armed with chains and deadbolts," DNAinfo New York said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services said that the NYPD was investigating the incident and other racially-motivated violence at the shelter, which is located inside a repurposed Pan Am hotel.

"We take the safety of our clients very seriously," the spokesperson explained. "We have taken swift measures to ensure the safety of this child, his family and the residents of that shelter and community."

Correction: The child's age is not known at this time.