Football Opponents or Racial Adversaries?

"It felt like a hostile environment. The only message I had [for his distraught players] was we need to be better men ... and I asked them to stifle everything they had."

"Their response [game referees] was they were not hearing anything."

"It was at that point [continuing racial epithets] that I decided the game needed to be over."

"We have experienced [racism at games] before, but not to this level or degree. This was very hostile, very unsafe, and the environment was not suitable for competition."

Willie McGinnis, football coach, Roxbury Prep High School Wolves, Rosbury, Massachusetts

 

"I broke down, I watched racism ruin what’s something that was supposed to be good to them, Friday night lights but instead we were ridiculed, called N bombs by players, faculty, staff, spectators and were taunted all night."

"I was approached by police for absolutely no reason. There were reporters wanting to interview us, these same racist people that waited for a reaction. It was all a set up, cruisers and wagons. I’m angry that to this day things like this still happen, feeling powerless in a lose lose situation."

Roxbury assistant football coach Jamaal Hunt

 

"If it’s determined there was any type of criminality relative to that incident I’ll review that with the district attorney’s office."

"I have not seen any video or audio evidence concerning those allegations, but they are certainly not going to be ignored…we’ll interview people who were there, and we welcome anybody with information to provide it to us."

Georgetown Police Chief Donald Cudmore

Screen grab of melee at Georgetown High School football game

"I know a lot of the kids who go to the game, they wouldn't say that word to an African American, and I know [many] of the people in the stands and walking the sidelines, adults ..."

"If they heard any kid saying that to that team, they would have went right up to that kid and grabbed him."

Tim Manning, player parent, Georgetown Middle High School Royals, Georgetown, Massachusetts

"[There are] many different versions of what happened at this game ... swirling around on social media. [School officials and police are investigating.]"

Carol Jacobs, superintendent, Georgetown Public Schools 

 

"We call on the Georgetown district to fully collaborate with us to investigate this incident and to take strong actions to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again."

"Our priority will remain the safety and well-being of our community as we continue to advocate for racial justice, love and respect." 

Roxbury Prep School spokesperson, Roxbury, Massachusetts

 

Last Friday night in Georgetown, Mass., the Roxbury Prep High School Wolves were set to play a game against the Georgetown Middle High School Royals. A football game between two high school football teams, as normal an occurrence as can be imagined in the United States, or for that matter anywhere else. There is, however, a difference between the two schools and thus between the two teams -- in that Georgetown's student body is 93 percent White, and Roxbury Prep students are 97 percent either Black or Latino.

Still Americans, still high school students, still boys studying to be men, enjoying team sports and excelling at both. There was an estimated 450 people present at the field to watch a routine night of  high school football. Those present witnessed a fight break out between the two teams, obviously unsportsmanlike. And then the game was cancelled. Then came the explanation, that the Royals players endured an evening of racial catcalls slung at them by Georgetown players.

In tears, the Black players told their coaches that the "N" word and taunts about looking like apes and monkeys. The Royals coaches spoke to the Georgetown players' coaches, asking them to speak to their players about repeatedly hurling racial slurs at the opposing team. And it appears that the Royals' coaches made no effort to put a halt to the taunting. When first coach McGinnis heard from his players of the racial slurs, he told them to respond "using our pads". Play the game to win.

By the second half of the game the taunts and racial slurs were escalating, the Royals, the Roxbury students kept telling their coach were calling them the N-word repeatedly. A group of fans approached the back of the Wolves bench to interact with players until one of the assistant coaches instructed the crowd to retreat. It was about then that coach McGinnis was treated to the N-word himself. No one 'mishears' that kind of soul-searing language.

That led five men, fathers of Wolves players, to form a protective line around their team. Again coach McGinnis reported the racial slurs to the referees, who heard nothing themselves that might move them to take action. Leading 44-8 by the end of the third quarter, the Royals had succeeded in fully demoralizing the Wolves, when a fight broke out. Which was when the two Georgetown police officers assigned to the event called in for support.

A Royals player had shoved a Wolves team member and another Royals player held the Wolves player. Leading four Wolves players, coach McGinnis and others to rush the field to separate the two sides. The N-word surfaced again. When the police dispersed the crowd, coach McGinnis returned to his sideline, his team deciding to go on playing until two players approached their coach again tearfully, that the racial epithets were continuing.

The Wolves headed off the field, to Royals players chanting the N-word. Superintendent Carol Jacobs was at the game but heard no racial slurs. Her intention is to bring in an independent investigator. 

From left, Roxbury Prep parents Larry Fisher, Deborah Manago, and Missy Brown look on as Roxbury Prep hosts Millis at West Roxbury High on Sept. 24, a week after a skirmish broke out late in Georgetown High's game against Roxbury Prep. Roxbury Prep alleges racial slurs prompted the fight.   Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe