Students accused of yelling racial slurs at high school volleyball players in Texas
_fitted.png "Students at a volleyball game between two Texas high schools allegedly hurled racist slurs and insults at players.")
A Texas school district is investigating claims that some of its students yelled racial slurs at volleyball players during a recent game against another school.
The alleged racist heckling happened Friday, Sept. 2, when the Hays High School Hawks faced off against the Canyon High School Cougarettes, according to Jennifer Gardner Price, whose daughters play for Hays.
Hays High School is in Buda, about 22 miles southwest of downtown Austin, and Canyon is in New Braunfels.
Throughout the game, students sitting in the front row of Canyon High School’s student section yelled the N-word at Price’s daughters and other players, she said in a social media post.
Price’s daughters are Black.
The students hurled “the N-word (hard R) at my daughters and a few more teammates throughout the match, SO MANY TIMES!!!” the post read.
When Hays coaches complained to Canyon administrators in attendance, they told their students, “watch your mouths,” according to Price, but no harsher action was taken and no one was removed from the game.
“The boys were not kept away from our team after the game and they were allowed to continue to heckle the girls on their way out,” Price said, adding that a school resource officer escorted the team to their bus.
Making the situation even more bitter, Hays’ players had written the number 3 on their hands prior to the game, to show their support for Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson, according to Price. Price was the target of alleged racist insults from Brigham Young University fans during a recent game between the two colleges.
Price said her “girls are destroyed” and that she is angry.
“These girls deserve better,” she wrote. “When does this stop?????”
Price’s post gained attention quickly, garnering over 1,800 comments and 2,900 shares as of 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4.
The Comal Independent School District, which includes Canyon High School, is investigating the claims.
“Should it be found that any one student, or group of students, made any sort of racial comments at any point during or after the game, they will be disciplined to the fullest extent possible,” the district said in a statement.
The alleged behavior does not represent the district, or its efforts to be inclusive and accepting, the statement said.
“Please be assured that we will get to the bottom of this issue and that Comal ISD will not tolerate any racially intolerant behavior.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2022 at 1:27 PM with the headline "Students accused of yelling racial slurs at high school volleyball players in Texas."