Racist speech allegedly hurled at Beloit basketball team during playoffs

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Leaders from two school districts are investigating allegations of racist speech towards basketball players from Beloit Memorial High School.

The boy’s basketball team was at Muskego High School for a playoff game Friday night when “some unacceptable actions transpired,” Beloit Superintendent Dr. Willie E. Garrison II wrote in a note to staff and families.

He described written racial slurs and “unsportsmanlike phrases being chanted.”

Concerned community members sent NBC15 photos of the N-word and swastikas drawn on top of lockers. Jason Lopez, a parent of an athlete, said he heard monkey noises and racist words from the student section at the game.

“We take this matter very seriously. All students should be able to play in a safe, competitive sports environment,” the superintendent’s letter continued.

The Beloit Memorial Boys Basketball team, coach and parents spoke with NBC15 in Beloit on Saturday.

”I just feel like it was racist and pretty uncalled for,” Senior DeCarlos Nora III said. “It just felt very overwhelming and unnecessary. I just feel like there should be no place for that in sports or at any event at all.”

Beloit Memorial Head Boys Basketball Coach Todd Marks said he felt unsettled and disturbed during the game. He said he wasn’t made aware of the swastikas and n-word drawings until after the game and would not have allowed his team to play had he known.

”We have great kids of high character who do things the right way and constantly rise above these types of actions, but they should not have to deal with this day in and day out,” Marks said.

The Beloit superintendents sent out a statement that said his district is working with Muskego’s to investigate the “unacceptable actions”.

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