A Heber City school is under investigation after student-athletes allegedly used racial slurs after a recent boys’ lacrosse game, per a FOX 13 report.
Parents from Highland High School accused three players from Wasatch High School of using the n-word immediately following Friday’s game between the two schools.
“At the end of the game, a fight happened,” said Lex Scott, the founder of Black Lives Matter Utah, as she read from the civil rights complaint submitted to the organization. “During the fight, three players yelled out, ‘Get the [n-word]’ and went after one of the Black players on the Highland team. It is disgusting and all the players from Highland were in disbelief.”
Scott told The Salt Lake Tribune that parents from Wasatch High have been posting negative comments on and sending negative messages to BLM Utah’s Facebook page.
“When our Black players are on the field, these white players feel like they can use racial slurs either to intimidate the Black players or just to be racist to the Black players,” Scott said. “And the parents think they can deny that racism happened [and] they can criminalize the Black players.”
A Salt Lake City School District Spokesperson told FOX 13 that both schools are in communication to resolve the matter. The Wasatch County School District said it “takes any allegation seriously” and is working with the Utah High School Activities Association to investigate the incident.
Scott described Wasatch County School District’s investigation as one that needs air quotes because it will likely come down to the word against the Black players against the word against the white players.
“If the parents are not satisfied with how the investigation goes, we are happy to protest Wasatch High School,” Scott said. “Happily, happily we will protest them.”
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