Colorado High School Activities Association acknowledges racism reports at recent school events
Colorado High School Activities Association sent out a statement Friday in response to the ongoing investigation of recently reported racist incidents at school events, including incidents from last school year.
Part of this investigation stems from claims made by Sand Creek High School cheeleaders in Colorado Springs, who told CBS Colorado they were racially harassed by students at a Lutheran High School football game on Sept. 24.
According to CHSAA, "Over the past week, CHSAA has spoken with administrators from each of the member schools and school districts involved in reported incidents of racism, including recently reported incidents that are alleged to have happened last school year. We have also received first-hand accounts that those schools gathered from their own students and others, both through conversations and in written reports."
"With that information in hand, our office is now evaluating it against CHSAA bylaws, including the standards they set for conduct consistent with our mission and core values," the statement continued in part. "Any decisions will be based on that review."
Among racial remarks, the Sand Creek cheerleaders have also claimed a Black male student's hair was touched by students in the Lutheran section when the group passed by on their way back from concessions.
As mentioned by CHSAA, there have been other racist incident reports stemming from the previous school year that are also connected to the Lutheran HS community. A Rampart High School parent posted to social media claiming she and her daughter were called the N-word by a student wearing Lutheran gear while at Lutheran for a game.
Previously reported: In an email to Lutheran families sent on Oct. 4, the school's executive director says he met with Sand Creek's principal and apologized for the cheerleaders' experience, and for "the bad setup of our stadium, and that it was not properly marked for visitors to not have to go through our student section bleachers."
More information surrounding the CHSAA bylaws regarding these types of incidents is available on the Colorado High School Activities Association website.
