Mother and father from a Lengthy Island, New York, highschool are advocating that video games in opposition to a rival faculty district by no means be scheduled once more on account of alleged race points.
The Elmont Excessive Faculty’s Mum or dad Trainer Scholar Affiliation (PTSA), in addition to the college’s Dad’s Membership, held a city corridor with Nassau County sports activities Part VIII officers to debate what dad and mom are calling a “long history of racist behavior” from the Bellmore-Merrick Faculty District, in keeping with The New York Submit.
Additionally current on the city corridor had been representatives from the Sewanhaka Faculty District, which Elmont Excessive Faculty is beneath, and the Bellmore-Merrick district.
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A ladies varsity basketball sport on Feb. 7 between Elmont Excessive Faculty and Kennedy Excessive Faculty was the tipping level. (Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)
Lynette Battle, who serves on the Sewanhaka board of trustees, whereas additionally being the previous president of the PTSA, known as the state of affairs the “definition of insanity,” alleging that it’s a recurring state of affairs.
“Something different has to be done,” Battle added. “And someone needs to be courageous enough to stand on business.”
The racial incidents allegedly spanned years, however one specifically prompted a big stir main as much as the assembly. It was a ladies varsity basketball sport on Feb. 7 between Elmont and Kennedy Excessive Faculty, which is within the Bellmore-Merrick faculty district, that was the tipping level.
Through the sport, an altercation occurred between one participant from either side, the place solely the participant from Elmont, who The Submit reported is Black, was ejected after swinging on the lady from Kennedy, who’s White.
Nonetheless, as soon as video got here out exhibiting the participant from Kennedy hitting the participant from Elmont first, the latter appealed the suspension. Although Part VIII initially upheld their choice to droop the participant, she was reinstated and allowed to take part in a playoff sport after a second enchantment.
Regardless that Bellmore-Merrick made the choice to voluntarily droop the Kennedy participant concerned within the altercation, dad and mom from Elmont have clearly seen sufficient to ask to by no means see colleges from their rival district, together with center colleges, on their athletic schedules.
Through the assembly, Battle listed years’ value of alleged racial incidents between the college districts, together with one from 2023 throughout a junior varsity volleyball sport between Elmont and Kennedy Excessive Colleges, when followers allegedly taunted Elmont gamers, calling them “monkeys” and having bananas of their possession, Battle informed The Submit.
An identical state of affairs occurred in December 2021, when followers from Bellmore-Merrick Mepham Excessive Faculty had been allegedly calling ladies “monkeys” throughout a junior varsity basketball sport. Bananas had been additionally stated to be concerned.
An identical state of affairs occurred in December 2021, when followers from Bellmore-Merrick Mepham Excessive Faculty had been allegedly calling ladies “monkeys” throughout a junior varsity basketball sport. (Ethan Miller/Getty Photographs)
With that final incident, the followers had been each disciplined, because the Bellmore-Merrick superintendent and athletic director apologized to Elmont in particular person at their highschool, Part VIII Director Patrick Pizzarelli informed The Submit.
Battle additionally detailed an incident in February 2019, when Elmont cheerleaders allegedly hurled racial slurs at spectators supporting Bellmore-Merrick. She additionally claims one of many cheerleaders wore an “afro-wig to mock the black players.”
Battle added extra incidents in 2022 and 2023 that had been allegedly racially charged. Nonetheless, they had been by no means reported to the mandatory sports activities powers within the districts.
In response, Part VIII and the districts have held workshops for college students on the groups concerned, whereas additionally “instituting the reading of a civility statement before games,” The Submit studies.
“Our children are the ones being victimized,” Battle retorts. “Why do they need to be in the room for a kumbaya moment?”
The Submit additionally interviewed Jon Johnson of the Dad’s Membership, and whereas his three youngsters might now not be within the Sewanhaka faculty system, they did all graduate from Elmont Excessive Faculty and allegedly handled related racial incidents.
Johnson detailed one involving his “middle son,” who performed in opposition to Wellington C. Mepham Excessive Faculty – one other within the Bellmore-Merrick district.
Mother and father from a Lengthy Island, New York, highschool are advocating that video games in opposition to a rival faculty district by no means be scheduled once more on account of alleged race points.
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“He was playing lacrosse, and in the middle of the game, the opposing player, after Elmont scored, the opposing player called him the flat-out the n-word and told him to get off of the field,” Johnson, who’s Black, informed The Submit.
Pizzarelli has defended the best way Part VIII and the respective districts responded to those incidents, including that city halls like these have created progress in resolving these points.
Mother and father beg to vary.
“We have trusted our district to help look over our kids, but I don’t think that they have, because they keep doing things to put a Band-Aid to a gunshot wound,” Johnson stated to The Submit.
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