Soccer and racism just can’t seem to be separated no matter the country or level of play. The most recent incident occurred at a high school game in Tennessee.
During their May 22nd soccer match, Martin Luther King Magnet High School officials complained that fans from Page High School hurled racist and anti-Semitic jeers and slurs at their players. They sent the complaint to the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA).
The letter was signed by Marquis Churchwell, MLK’s assistant principal and athletic director. It detailed the abuse heard by parents and coaches who were in attendance at that state championship tournament qualifying match.
“There were at least five MLK students that were personally targeted by the Page fans,” wrote Churchwell in the complaint. “This unruly and disgraceful act created a hostile and unsafe athletic environment for our students and spectators.”
It appears that this has happened before. The TSSAA told the Tennessean these types of complaints are “not common at all.”
According to the complaint, the venom included taunts like “Did they get their VISAs?”, “Go back to your own country” and anti-Semitic jeers aimed at Jewish players.
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