High School Officials Probe Racist Slurs by Students at Game

The Illinois High School Association is investigating claims that students yelled racist comments and chanted animal noises at a black player during a high school girls basketball game. Students in the St. Edward Catholic School section reportedly targeted a black student from the opposing team, Bishop McNamara Catholic School, along with another teammate, with the offensive slurs. “Whale sounds and monkey sounds and all that, and nothing is done? That’s unacceptable,” said J.J. Hollis, a football and track coach at Bishop McNamara, adding, “One of them is racially insensitive and the other one is just like, insensitive toward her body.”

Bishop McNamara’s principal, Terry Granger, said he doesn’t think St. Edwards administrators sufficiently dealt with the situation, as the fans who yelled the racist insults were allowed to stay throughout the game. “Both of our basketball coaches are African American. So let’s think about that for a second, and they are hearing monkey noises being portrayed toward their kids,” Hollis said. St. Edward Superintendent and Principal Brian Tekampe sent an apology letter to Bishop McNamara saying, “We condemn racism and discriminatory behavior against all people in any form. We find the behavior to be very disturbing and counters our schools values and beliefs.”