The case study of an all-male Catholic college preparatory school illustrates that, although the school appears to be a model school, African American students do not feel connected to the school community or culture, and many experience alienation, frustration, and racial prejudice at the school. Initial interview questions were pretested with 10 students, and then surveys of 66 members of the larger student population and 10 faculty members were conducted. The school enrolled 1,355 students at the start of the study, only 35 of whom were African American. Thirteen African American students participated in the study. The experience of the African American students was very different than that of other students. None spoke enthusiastically about belonging to the school community, a finding in contrast with those regarding White, Asian, and American Indian students. None of the African American students was as enthusiastic about the school in general as the majority of students. None thought that the curriculum was reflective of cultural diversity, and most talked about feeling isolated at the school and experiencing racial discrimination. The African American Student Union did play a significant role in the school lives of the African Americans. Findings indicate that ethnicity is an important social construct for ethnic and cultural minority students at the school. (Contains 5 tables and 19 references.) (SLD)