Investigations are underway for two Kansas high schools after students at a basketball game allegedly yelled racial slurs at players in a planned verbal assault.
According to Topeka High School boys basketball coach Geo Lyons, the men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to Valley Center High School Saturday for games, where they “experienced outright racism” — and administrators apparently did nothing about it!
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The coach put up a change.org petition calling to remove fans from V.C. sporting events. In the shocking statement, he explained:
“Employees from Valley Center High School failed to protect Topeka High from racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts. Players and spectators from Topeka High were called the N-word, threatened to be lynched and at one point a Topeka High player was taunted with the chant ‘He’s a p***y!’ The student section even passed around a naked black baby doll and often waived to at Topeka High players. Valley Center admin and staff did not address any of these actions while play was taking place although they were very aware.”
These allegations are nothing less than disgusting, and there is absolutely ZERO room for that sort of behavior. There’s no way faculty didn’t see any of this, right?
Lyons, who has a son of his own on the team, later told KSN-TV that following the game his players were devastated:
“I had a down locker room, I’m talking about tears were flowing in that locker room.”
How traumatic. But through it all, these young men kept their composure and avoided reacting to the vile remarks, according to a Tuesday letter from Topeka Public Schools Superintendent Tiffany Anderson. She praised the players, saying:
“The character demonstrated in the athletes on the Topeka High Men’s basketball team is outstanding and we applaud the team and the coaches who maintained a standard of excellence and demonstrated the ultimate measure of a man during challenge and controversy.”
Valley Center officials issued an apology to Topeka High Monday for “inappropriate language and behavior” during the game. However, on Tuesday they then said no evidence of racist language had been found. Valley Center Unified School District 262 told 13 NEWS:
“Near the end of the game, a Topeka player was fouled, and when he went to shoot his free throws, an inappropriate chant of “He’s a p***y” erupted from the VCHS student section. Administration immediately began removing students involved and shifted to a proactive mode to prevent any further negative interactions.”
So they’re willing to admit to everything but the racism, huh? Couldn’t admit to that, it might make people look at the entire school as an environment that fosters that kind of hate…
They added the “infant simulator” was part of a “Human Growth and Development class,” seemingly attempting to discredit the allegations of racism, despite it being caught on film!
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However, a day later the two school districts released a joint statement reassuring worried families that investigations are still underway:
“As both districts work in a unified manner to investigate matters related to the athletic events on Saturday, we as superintendents are both committed to ensuring a safe and respectful climate at school events. Incidents that occurred when individuals did not conduct themselves in ways that reflect our commitment to supporting students have been handled, and there are investigations that are ongoing. We will work together to ensure the appropriate individuals are held accountable and work together to prevent such incidents in the future.”
This is all just absolutely unacceptable, and we hope the students responsible for the hate speech — and the employees who found it acceptable — are found and held accountable. With as much hate that exists in the world today, let’s not let it bleed into the incoming generations.
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[Image via 13 WBIW]
