This month, a series of Michigan high school basketball games were called off after offensive racial slurs were directed at African-American players from the visiting team by some fans.
Superintendent Mike Baszler from Goodrich Area Schools stated that following the incident, the district decided to take action. Notably, footage of the incident became widely shared online.
The video captures a situation where a player from Flint’s Kearsley High School attempts a free throw during a game on February 17 at Goodrich High School, amid a barrage of slurs from the crowd.
In the midst of this, frustrated reactions can be heard, leading to the game being halted while officials worked to pinpoint the offender.
“At our last men’s varsity basketball game, a student in the stands shouted a derogatory racial slur at us,” Baszler’s statement indicated. “Game administrators paused the game immediately to manage the situation.”
Following this, the athletic director and school officials contacted the student body, leading to the removal of all students from the gym since the individual responsible did not initially step forward.
“Our athletic director and administration found out which student made the comment and dealt with the situation according to our student conduct guidelines,” Baszler added. “We are serious about these matters, which is why we took swift action.”
He emphasized that the goal was to promote an atmosphere of sportsmanship and respect at all events hosted by Goodrich Area Schools. The school plans to keep addressing the values of sportsmanship and respect within their community.
Eventually, the game resumed, with Goodrich edging out Kearsley 64-59.
