Administrators are investigating claims that students were subjected to racist taunts during a high school football game in Southern California.
The Orange County Register reports players and cheerleaders with Lincoln High of San Diego say they were the targets of racial slurs by students and adult fans at San Clemente High Friday night.
The San Diego branch of the NAACP sent a letter to officials with San Clemente High and Capistrano Unified School District requesting action be taken.
The letter says Lincoln students were subjected to the abuse while on the field and in the locker room.
Capistrano Unified says it’s investigating. San Clemente Principal Chris Carter sent a letter to parents saying he takes the allegations seriously and condemns any hateful rhetoric.
The full text of Carter’s letter is below:
Dear Lincoln High School Community,
We are deeply concerned by the allegation that racist and offensive comments were directed towards your students and fans at the football game this past Friday. As the Principal of San Clemente High School, I work with my faculty, staff, students, families, and community to maintain the highest standards of respect for all individuals. We do not condone racist speech or actions at our school, and we unreservedly condemn hateful rhetoric that targets any person or group.
We are conducting a thorough investigation on these accusations with our Orange County Sheriff’s Department, administration, staff, and others who were present supervising the game. We take these claims very seriously. We ask the communities of San Clemente and Lincoln High School to please share any evidence that would assist us with the investigation. Please send any evidence or statements directly to Assistant Principal, Cameron Lovett, at cnlovett@capousd.org.
Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, we will use this opportunity to take specific action with our school community to ensure that our words and actions meet our high standards and that every single person on our campus as a student, family member or guest feels safe and welcome. We look forward to working with your school community to ensure a positive resolution.
Sincerely,
Chris Carter