Students making monkey noises taunted black basketball players at a high school game in New York earlier this week, and parents and school leaders are demanding more aggressive action against those responsible.
The incident between Nyack and Pearl River college teams happened Wednesday night in Pearl River court. A video tweeted by Nyack’s basketball program clearly shows the noises made whenever a black player from Nyack’s team approaches the free throw line.
“Pearl River missed the mark in correcting heinous behavior. Stop the game. Eliminate the offenders. Do better!” Nyack tweeted.
A Nyack player’s mother posted the same video on Instagram and said noises were being made during warm-ups and throughout the game as well.
The Pearl River School District superintendent released a letter to parents Thursday acknowledging the incident, with Dr. Marco Pochintesta writing that he was “outraged” and that “the behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
But parents called on Pearl River to do more, and the Nyack Board of Education released its own statement on Friday demanding more action against what it called “racist and reprehensible” behavior.
“We have asked the Pearl River School District for a full investigation and report, and have also asked Section 1 Athletics to review this situation with the safety and mental well-being of our athletes as a top priority” , the council said in a statement. .
Rockland County Superintendent Ed Day also released a statement condemning the behavior of the Pearl River students.
In the Nyack school district, about 16% of students are black, according to data from the New York State Department of Education, compared to just 2% in Pearl River – although the two districts are of similar size and that their headquarters are only about seven miles away.