STANWOOD, Wash. — The Stanwood-Camano School District has launched an investigation in response to allegations of racist comments made during a high school football game between Lakes High School and Stanwood High School on Nov. 4.
According to witnesses that attended, players and cheerleaders from Lakes High School were subjected to racist taunts and slurs by the Stanwood student section and players on the Stanwood football team.
A mother posted on her Facebook page that her daughter, a Lakes High School student who’s on the cheerleading team, was harassed and called a racial slur in the girls' bathroom by Stanwood High School students.
A coach for Lakes High School also wrote on Facebook that his players told him about multiple racist remarks they were hearing from Stanwood players. The coach says the coaching staff told the referees what was happening multiple times, but nothing was done to stop it.
The Clover Park School District sent KING 5 a statement that says it’s aware of the incident and met with the Lakes football players and cheerleaders yesterday, and the students “expressed frustration, fear for their safety and concern that those involved would not be held accountable." The statement went on to say the students "want to hear an acknowledgment from Stanwood High School and the local community that this behavior was wrong and how they plan to repair it.”
The Stanwood-Camano school district released a statement saying it’s currently investigating these claims.
"As a community and district, we are committed to an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where everyone knows they belong. Our equity policy establishes that we value mutual respect for each person regardless of individual differences or characteristics. Because we do not tolerate the behaviors reported, we are actively investigating these claims," a statement from the district's superintendent said in part.