Racial slurs in the game

[zebraman]

Originally posted by JRutledge
I personally do not know what writing a letter is going to do. If the coach was ejected from the game, I am sure the tournament director or officials are aware of why there was an ejection. Someone is going to know why on some level why there was an ejection. An ejection like this is not likely going to be something no one is going to be unaware of. Writing a letter could not hurt, just understand that it might turn into a he said, she said situation.

Peace

It sounds like it was easily heard. Getting it documented is very important. I highly doubt that this incident is the first time this coach has been inappropriate... I find it hard to believe he's going to make 3 idiotic comments in one game with no prior history, but maybe nobody ever took the time to document it before. A written record is very important.

Z

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by zebraman


It sounds like it was easily heard. Getting it documented is very important. I highly doubt that this incident is the first time this coach has been inappropriate... I find it hard to believe he's going to make 3 idiotic comments in one game with no prior history, but maybe nobody ever took the time to document it before. A written record is very important.

Z

How is this going to be a written record? All a letter is going to do is give one side of the story from one parent. By all means write the letter, but to assume that there had to be a trail of incidents is rather naive if you ask me. It is very possible this is the only incident.

Peace

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally posted by JRutledge

Either way it still might not matter. The poster wants to know what we think. The reality is writing a letter is not an automatic problem solver for this kind of situation. It is possible that the school administrators might not even take heed to the information. Not all administration members are competent or use the best judgment. You might need independent evidence to prove that is what actually took place. Now the ejection will help, but I have known these situations not to be accepted so easily by school administration. Of course it is worth a try; just do not be surprised if the information is not accepted. You never know what relationship this guy has with his administration. For all you know he might be apart of that administration. We have HS that have nicknames that are offensive to people all over this country. You think one coach using an offensive name is going to automatically make a difference?

Peace

This may well be the case. Which is why I suggested sending a copy of the letter to the superintendent, and letting the principal know that he'd been copied on it. While it's possible that they might all choose to ignore it, there is a certain amount of pressure brought to bear when one knows that his boss has been informed of a situation that needs addressing.

It is also true that one letter from one parent may have little impact. But many letters from many parents will have a greater impact. And that can only happen if individuals are willing to go to the trouble, regardless of the possible outcome.

Just my opinion.

[JCrow]

I didn't know that Adolph Rupp was back in Coaching?

Here's when you know you're old.....I remember Pat Riley jumping Center for Kentucky! Pat had hops in his day.

[zebraman]

Originally posted by JRutledge

How is this going to be a written record? All a letter is going to do is give one side of the story from one parent. By all means write the letter, but to assume that there had to be a trail of incidents is rather naive if you ask me. It is very possible this is the only incident.

Peace

Every documented incident is "one side of the story" regardless of who it comes from. That's why things get written down, to show a pattern. What's naive is to think that this "adult" coach made 3 racial slurs in one game and has never done it before this far into the season.

Z

[ChrisSportsFan]

More than likely, the officials have already passed this information along. You're letter will reenforce their report of the situation. If multiple parents heard the comments, I'd try to get all of their names and contact information to include it as well.

[rockyroad]

As someone in the "educational" world, a letter will do something - it will cause the school to question the coach involved. All he has to do is deny the charges, however, and not much more than a verbal reprimand will happen...on the other hand, getting a copy of a video that some other parent took, and sending that in to the school - especially if the coach's voice can be heard, now that would cause some action...

[Forksref]

Originally posted by RefNVa
FWIW In our association we are not allowed to contact the school directly, we must go through our commissioner.

This is a parent who posted the thread.

[Nate1224hoops]

Originally posted by grizwald
I was just wondering how you guys would handle this (or if there are specific rules regarding this).

In my daughter's game this weekend the opposing head coach yelled at least three racial slurs during the third quarter (three were audible to people from our team, who knows what else was said in their huddle). Two N bombs directed at the refs regarding our players and in one case he called our guard a monkey.

I know how these officials handled it, they T-ed him up a couple times and tossed him.

I was just wondering if this kind of crap happens very often in games that you guys work, and what you will do if you hear this kind of garbage?

I was also thinking of writing a letter to the school system to inform them of what kind of image this guy is giving their school. This is only a 7th grade team, and they were playing in a out of town independent of school tournament, so I'm not sure that they would necessarily find out about it, unless someone spoke up. We were an out of state, club team, playing a school team from their state, but in a different part of the state. Do you think this is a good idea or not?

By the way, I posted a question on here a month or so ago (as a first time poster) and have been returning to read your board from time to time. I really enjoy the angle I get by reading about basketball from the refs point of view.

Thanks alot,

Mike

The coach should have been tossed after the first racial slur? As a coach, I am turned back by this type of behavior. It has no place in basketball period, but much less saying these things in the presence of a child. Coaches are role models to many kids and this guy should have coached his last game.

Definetly send the letter. Express your displeasure. As a coach, I know our AD/Adminstrators would never stand for this.

[ChrisSportsFan]

Originally posted by rockyroad
As someone in the "educational" world, a letter will do something - it will cause the school to question the coach involved. All he has to do is deny the charges, however, and not much more than a verbal reprimand will happen...on the other hand, getting a copy of a video that some other parent took, and sending that in to the school - especially if the coach's voice can be heard, now that would cause some action...

Yea-but, the next best thing to coach being punished/or terminated would be to make him stop. If he knows the paper trail is started, he'll probably knock it off.

We recently had a situation where one of the parents thought our coach sent the girls "head-hunting". After several parents asked their daughters, it seems that this parent misunderstood what was said. None of the girls heard her say to go hurt the other team and none of them interpreted it that way. IOW, maybe your coach said "You girls are better then this, show some energy. Get out there and play spunky". You thought you heard coach say monkey. ??

I don't want to doubt what you are sure you heard either way. If others heard the same as you, then send the letter.

[Ref Daddy]

Great comments.


My contribution to this situation (which I have NOT had personally) asks - since there is no way on earth that this coach just started using racial slurs and comments on the date and time of your game - I wonder what their behavior was previously.

As responses all indicate the behavior of this individual is unacceptable to fans, players, referee's, opponents, and school administrators.

Take the required action to remove it. Failing to do so passes the bad behavior on to the next practice and next game.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by zebraman

Every documented incident is "one side of the story" regardless of who it comes from. That's why things get written down, to show a pattern. What's naive is to think that this "adult" coach made 3 racial slurs in one game and has never done it before this far into the season.

Z

Well that sounds nice and it is nice to speculate on what the coach did before. At the end of the day that is all it is, speculation. None of our speculation is not make the letter any more believable to the person that reads it. As I have stated before, I have seen letters written and nothing was done. A fan that is not from that school or community might want to be aware that their letter might fall on deaf ears. We do not even know why the officials ejected the coach or if this was the words that got the coach in trouble. Writing a letter as a parent might raise questions, but it does not mean the superintendent or principal is going to go for what the parent says. For all we know is the coach could be the relative of superintendent and they will not believe anything negative about them. I have been on this board and read when someone made an accusation of another person and read the reaction. Then throw in something as hot as racial issues into the mix and you see many more defending the people coming to the aid of the accused and telling the accuser how crazy they are. If people behave like that here, why would I think someone that knows a person much better than most of us would here act so differently when an anonymous person makes an accusation about someone they hired or know personally? You have to be prepared for the good and the bad of what might happen. BTW, I think any letter being written or contact better comes from the tournament officials and the game officials. What ever happen to talking to the people that are in charge of the game rather than first going to someone that was not there at the game or will hear all this information second and third hand? If I was this parent I would have talked to someone on site, see what they were going to do and then write a letter if I did not get the right vibe from them. We all have the right to our opinion on this. I do not know that there is a right or wrong either way.

Peace

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by JRutledge

Well that sounds nice and it is nice to speculate on what the coach did before. At the end of the day that is all it is, speculation. None of our speculation is not make the letter any more believable to the person that reads it. As I have stated before, I have seen letters written and nothing was done. A fan that is not from that school or community might want to be aware that their letter might fall on deaf ears. We do not even know why the officials ejected the coach or if this was the words that got the coach in trouble. Writing a letter as a parent might raise questions, but it does not mean the superintendent or principal is going to go for what the parent says. For all we know is the coach could be the relative of superintendent and they will not believe anything negative about them. I have been on this board and read when someone made an accusation of another person and read the reaction. Then throw in something as hot as racial issues into the mix and you see many more defending the people coming to the aid of the accused and telling the accuser how crazy they are. If people behave like that here, why would I think someone that knows a person much better than most of us would here act so differently when an anonymous person makes an accusation about someone they hired or know personally? You have to be prepared for the good and the bad of what might happen. BTW, I think any letter being written or contact better comes from the tournament officials and the game officials. What ever happen to talking to the people that are in charge of the game rather than first going to someone that was not there at the game or will hear all this information second and third hand? If I was this parent I would have talked to someone on site, see what they were going to do and then write a letter if I did not get the right vibe from them. We all have the right to our opinion on this. I do not know that there is a right or wrong either way.

Peace

Jeff, you sound downright cynical! Can't imagine why....

Seriously, though, as a diehard bleeding heart liberal, I have to hope that enough action would bring about some improvement in the situation. At the same time you are right that it's possible nothing will get better. There are still a few (!) jerks and weaklings who wouldn't see this as a huge problem.

I do think that tackling both site management and the school personnel would be the most fruitful possibility. As you say, it's possible that if one of these venues isn't concerned, the other one would be upset enough to get this guy away from kids.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
IOW, maybe your coach said "You girls are better then this, show some energy. Get out there and play spunky". You thought you heard coach say monkey. ??

Or maybe he actually called him a monkey and pulled a banana outta his bag.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by rainmaker


Jeff, you sound downright cynical! Can't imagine why....

Seriously, though, as a diehard bleeding heart liberal, I have to hope that enough action would bring about some improvement in the situation. At the same time you are right that it's possible nothing will get better. There are still a few (!) jerks and weaklings who wouldn't see this as a huge problem.

I do think that tackling both site management and the school personnel would be the most fruitful possibility. As you say, it's possible that if one of these venues isn't concerned, the other one would be upset enough to get this guy away from kids.

I have lived long enough in this world and seen many situations like this where nothing was done or comments were disputed. Racial issues are something this country and many people like to sweep under the rug all the time. It happens here most of the time we have a discussion about racial issues. It happens in sports all over the area I live and in many other aspects of life. When these accusations are made many times the accuser is not believed or the motive of the accuser comes into question. This is really the case when the people in charge either feel the same was (as the coach in this case) or they do not want to believe their coach would say such a thing. Remember there are other comments that have racial overtones that do not start with the letter "N." I have been called things that did not start with that word and when I brought it to someone's attention that was not of my race or background. I basically was told that "I was being too sensitive." Then when I talked to other African-Americans, they got the same vibe that I did about the situation. I do not know the race of this parent, but it is possible that that dynamic might just not go anywhere if this person is of color and the people they are trying to convince someone that are not African-American that this coach was out of line. I really think it is silly if we honestly believe someone is going to lose their job over (this might be a teacher or school employee) what a parent writing a letter. It would not hurt, but I think you need more than a letter. You need other individuals to write letters and it would help if the tournament people and officials had some correspondence with that school as well. I would also follow up to make sure there was some contact if it was worth my time.

My main point is we are not going to save the world because this coach is fired or not. I am sure this coach has used that language before, but it might be the first time they did so in this setting. I think a lot of people say things behind closed doors they almost never say in public or around certain people. This is probably just a situation where this coach misspoke and paid for it by getting ejected. But to think something major is going to happen with a letter being written is not very sensible if you ask me.

Peace