Racism in sports strikes again, this time at a high school basketball game in Washington State.
Last month, Zillah High School traveled to Connell High School for their game. During the contest, students in the bleachers were heard yelling “monkey” at two Black players on the Zillah team.
The response was swift.
Connell was fined $1,000 and placed on one-year probation by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The area’s sports governing body also mandated that the school’s administrators and coaches must complete a diversity class before being allowed to participate in future playoff games at Connell.
“Any show of racism is inexcusable and will not be tolerated in our district,” said North Franklin School District Superintendent Jim Jacobs in a statement. “We take these allegations seriously and, while we are unable to share disciplinary details due to privacy laws, we will assure appropriate consequences are administered.”
This all started during their May 22nd game after multiple “monkey” barbs came from the stands. Connell’s school district (North Franklin) called for a third-party investigation over the incident in order to punish the students involved. That investigation is currently ongoing.
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