Racial insults hurled during high school basketball game in Pittsburgh
A high school basketball game near Pittsburgh, PA Friday became the site for racism.
Players from Monessen High School, whose student body is primarily African-American, found themselves on the receiving end of racial insults as they headed to their locker room during halftime. Fans of Brentwood High, the team Monessen was playing and whose students are primarily Caucasian, surrounded the Monessen players and made monkey noises as well as racial slurs at them. Three fans ran onto the court wearing banana suits.
Ironically, nobody entered the fray demanding that it be stopped. Joseph Kozarian, the Brentwood Director of Security, was on duty during the game. However, he simply smiled and laughed alongside the Brentwood fans.
“I was appalled and shocked,” Monessen parent Terri Payne said. “I was like, ‘I can’t believe they’re doing that, and they didn’t do anything about it.’”
Other parents of Monessen students claimed that the Brentwood players themselves shouted racist remarks at the Monessen team.
Monessen coach Joe Salvino said that this was not the first time he heard racial slurs during Brentwood games.
Brentwood officials stated that, as of Tuesday, three students have been disciplined in connection with the matter.
Superintendent Ronald Dufalla announced Wednesday that he’s currently reviewing video from the game to determine who else is culpable.
