Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

Parents say black high school basketball players were targeted with racist chants during a game in western Pennsylvania where the home team was celebrating ‘Hick Night’.

Parents said Connellsville students yelled chants including ‘Build that wall!’ and ‘Get them out of here!’ at black Uniontown players.

The Connellsville fans were sporting gear like camouflage baseball caps and flannel shirts with the sleeves cut off as part of the themed night.

At least one was holding a Donald Trump campaign sign, the Herald-Standard reported.

Tosha Walton, whose son William Deshields plays on the Uniontown team, said: ‘It’s bringing us to tears to see the hatred. Things should not have gone this way at this game.

‘I have never seen so many racist and hate-fueled comments, and its breaking my heart.’

An assistant superintendent for the Connellsville school district David McDonald says the school has officially apologized to Uniontown.

McDonald said that as soon as the athletic director was notified of the offensive behavior, he stopped it ‘within two or three seconds’.

He also said he spoke with the 60 students to explain how their actions were perceived, and that the conversation was met with ‘wide eyes’ from the students who said that they were ’embarrassed’.

Uniontown parents claim the harassment continued until halftime, but McDonald says the chants were immediately stopped.

Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Director Tim O’Malley received an email from one parent, Nichole Cragette, who felt that the incident was not handled properly.

She said: ‘It’s hurtful. These young children are going to be the future generation, and they’re going to leave high school and go into the real world and have a say.’

Source:  Daily Mail