Find the latest news on California high school canceling football season after athletes filmed staging ‘slave auction’ prank.
After team members were caught on camera playing a prank in which they appeared to “auction” off Black teammates, a California high school has canceled the remainder of its football season.
In the video, football players at River Valley High School appeared to be performing a “slave auction” of their Black teammates. On Thursday, officials from the school district received the video. In a statement provided to CNN, Superintendent Doreen Osumi of Yuba City Unified School District referred to the video as “unacceptable” and “deeply offensive.”
According to Osumi, the students who were a part of the “unfortunate and extremely distressing incident” were banned from competing for the remainder of the football season because they had broken the student-athlete code of conduct.
She stated that as a result, the varsity football team no longer has sufficient players to participate, and the remainder of the season has been forfeited.
The superintendent wrote, “Re-enacting a slave sale as a prank tells us that we have a lot of work to do with our students so they can distinguish between intent and impact.”
“This skit may have appeared to be funny, but it is not; It is unacceptable and necessitates an honest and comprehensive examination of systemic racism issues.
Osumi added that a few understudies might confront disciplinary outcomes because of the video and that the school will likewise execute “training, genuine, open conversations and guidance” around bigotry.
Dozens Dead as Hurricane Ian death toll continues to climb
She went on to say, “At this time, the District and site administration are diligently identifying lessons and programs to assist our student body in learning from this situation.”When students find humor in something that is so deeply offensive, I know we have a chance to help them become more aware, thoughtful, and considerate of others.
