Given the current political climate where it seems that racists have been emboldened, more outspoken and in many cases unapologetic with their behavior, it’s no surprise that a climate of racism and xenophobia is affecting the country’s youngest. Instead of H&M making headlines for a new racist apparel design, an Ohio High School is the most recent to make an apology for racist chants students participated in during a basketball game.
According to WLKY, on Tuesday night Elder High School students began shouting racist and homophobic jabs at the opposing school’s, St. Xavier High School, team. At the height of the students’ verbal attacks, Susan Stockman tells WLKY that they shouted “P.F. Chang’s” at her son and ordered him to “go back to China.”
However, this attack wasn’t over, as Splinter adds that the crowd turned their offensive jargon to another St. Xavier player. This time, Bobby Jefferson was a target of their verbal tirade. They yelled that he was on welfare, was illiterate and was on crack.
Since the incident, Elder High School’s principal, Kurt Ruffing, has released a statement which details the school’s apology.
“Most importantly, Elder High School sincerely apologizes for the remarks made by its student section and for the severe lack of respect displayed by its students toward the St. Xavier basketball team, its coaching staff, the opposing student section, and all the fans, family members, and alumni of both schools,” Ruffing wrote.
In the same press release, Ruffing reveals that school officials interrupted the game and reprimanded these students as soon as they recognized this abhorrent behavior. However, Mina Jefferson, Bobby’s mother, tells WCPO Cincinnati that this simply wasn’t the case: “There was absence—a total failure of leadership. None of the adults called it what it was or addressed it in the moment,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson later reveals to WCPO that none of the school’s officials took action until other adults complained about the Elder students’ chants.
“If no one complained, I have to wonder what would have happened,” Jefferson said.
While there seem to be two different stories regarding the action plan, we hope that Elder High School will punish these students appropriately and that nothing like this happens again. (Granted, proper education needs to be instilled in and out of schools to be able to prevent future racist attacks. And yes, verbal harassment is still an attack.)