High schools are dangerous places for many young people. Especially if you are gay. Watch the video below. Its a high school football game and some 300 students are taunting the opposition team, chanting Powder Blue Faggots.
The game officials did nothing. The chant went unchallenged. The school says they students have learned a life lesson, that is until they are at the next game.
Former North High student Heather Ike took the video. "I sat there for a little bit thinking it would stop, and it happened again, and it happened three times," Ike said, adding that she left the game after a few minutes, disgusted.
All of this occurred after world wide attention on the suicides of several teenagers caused because they were being bullied because they were gay and or perceived to be gay.
Its clear to me, after three separate chants, the school has decided to do nothing. The game should have been halted. The offending students evicted. If it kept up, then the team they are supporting should be banned from playing football for the rest of the year.
Get serious. Adults are abandoning their responsibilities here. Teenagers are bullying because they know nothing will happen. And just maybe, they know some of the adults like what they hear...
4 comments:
Could the refs have done something? In many school boards and districts, the referees are hired from outside the the boards and districts. The refs are usually limited to officiating on the field. They could protest to the school officials after the game.
The schools do need to be proactive in going after particular students, and in some cases, banning all students from attending sporting events. School districts may choose to suspend a team for a period of time if a local school is unable to control inappropriate actions by their students.
In Ontario, teachers do have a legal responsibility to report situations that may result in a suspension to their administrators.
The head ref here could have stopped the game. He could have penalized the team the kids were supporting. He could have asked the school officials to step in.
The school could have sent the kids home.
Nothing it appears was done.
I expect this is a lesson for school and sport officials.
It's unlikely this would happen in the UK.
"And just maybe, they know some of the adults like what they hear..."
And that, my friends, is the heart of the problem.
@Mike Unlikely it would happen here in Canada as well. I have no doubts some adults agreed with the chant. The heart of the problem rests with teachers and parents that continue to support this bigot behaviour.
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