Howard County mother calls for action as investigation into racial slur incident continues
The parent of an Atholton High School athlete is speaking out days after her son and his teammates were allegedly subjected to racial slurs and offensive language.
The incident happened during a JV football game between Atholton and Glenelg high schools on Monday, according to several parents WJZ spoke to.
The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is investigating the incident, but one mother is hoping for strict consequences.
"He's never lost his temper"
The emotional end to the JV football season for Atholton was caught on cell phone video. In the video, Atholton's JV football coach Avery Briscoe is seen trying to console his team.
"You have to control your emotions, do you understand me? There's gonna be things that are gonna be said and done to you any other time, you have to control it. Take it out, in the context of the game," Briscoe said.
Atholton was going up against Glenelg that night. There were a number of questionable calls against Atholton, according to a mother of one of the Atholton players. She asked to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation against her and her son.
She said she and other parents noticed a tension brewing between the teams.
"A couple of our boys started to run off the field and were obviously very upset," she said. "So a couple of us moms were really like, 'What's going on? What's going on down there?'"
As parents made their way down the stands, they learned about the slurs and offensive language allegedly hurled at their kids.
"I've never seen my son - he's never lost his temper. He is a gentle, measured, in control young man, and he...he lost his temper. He lost his emotions. He was crying and I've never seen that happen to him," the mother said.
Ongoing investigation
An HCPSS spokesperson confirmed that the investigation into the incident is still in progress Friday.
A note from Atholton and Glenelg high schools' principals on Wednesday confirmed the investigation. In it, both principals say they take "allegations of this nature extremely seriously."
"Any confirmed violations of HCPSS policies related to cyberbulling, hate/bias, harassment, and the Student Code of Conduct will be addressed in accordance with established policies and procedures," the note reads.
While confirmation that an investigation is underway was welcome news for the mother WJZ spoke to, she said action also needs to be taken.
"The only way I'm going to believe that the county is taking this seriously [is] at the very least these boys on our team deserve a direct apology," she said. "I believe there should be sanctions."
The principals' note also said support is ongoing for students impacted by this incident.
This all comes after Howard High School's JV football season was cancelled last month because of an investigation into a locker room bullying incident. Seven players from that school face second-degree assault charges.