California high school cancels its football season after “deeply offensive and shameful” video surfaced of team members conducting a “slave auction” of their black players
- High school football team members allegedly filmed themselves at a slave auction selling their black teammates
- Video surfaced of the “deeply offensive and shameful” sorority boy-style prank
- The River Valley High School football team has canceled the remainder of its season
- Players in the video have been banned and may face further action
A California soccer team canceled the remainder of its season after video surfaced of some of its players allegedly conducting a slave auction in which they auctioned off what appeared to be black teammates.
The shocking video allegedly shows members of the River Valley High School football team in Yuba City deliberately carrying out the “reprehensible” act as some kind of frat boy prank.
Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi called the stunt “deeply offensive and shameful” in a statement for CNN.
“The recording clearly shows that this situation was orchestrated and organized, which underscores my concern that the students spent time contemplating this horrific act without the slightest consideration that this action is hateful and hurtful,” said Osumi.
Members of the River Valley High School soccer team in Yuba City (pictured) were suspended and the team’s season cut short after filming themselves at a slave auction where they were auctioning off their black teammates
Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi called the stunt “deeply offensive and shameful” in a statement for CNN.
“(River Valley players) may argue that it was a hoax and they meant no harm, but the fact of the matter is that this is not only harmful, it’s a shame.”
“Reenacting a slave sale prank tells us that we have a lot to do with our students so they can differentiate between intent and effect.”
“Maybe they thought this skit was funny, but it’s not; it is unacceptable and requires us to deal honestly and thoroughly with issues of systemic racism.’
The team members identified in the video about the “unfortunate and extremely disturbing incident” were immediately suspended for the remainder of the season for violating the school’s code of conduct for students and athletes.
This meant that the football team did not have enough players to compete in the league and was forced to lose every game.
Some of the players involved could face further disciplinary action, Osumi said, and the school will also introduce “education, honest, open discussion and instruction” on the issue of racism.
“Right now, district and site governments are working hard to identify lessons and programs that will help our student body learn from this situation,” she continued.
“When students find humor in something that is deeply offensive, it tells me we have an opportunity to help them expand their mindset to be more aware, thoughtful and considerate of others.”
The roleplay was first made public when Ashley Palmer, the mother of one student at the school, took to Facebook after her own son Jeremiah found out about the incident
The JS Waters School in North Carolina has come under fire after holding a mock “slave auction” in which white middle school students pretended to sell their black classmates
The sick stunt isn’t the first such incident by schoolchildren pretending to be holding mock slave auctions.
Earlier this March, a North Carolina middle school held a slave auction in which white students pretended to sell a black student for $350 while chanting the N-word.
The mock auction took place in the presence of staff and faculty from the JS Waters School near Raleigh and was even videotaped, according to Chatham Organizing For Racial Equity.
The tasteless RPG was first made public when Ashley Palmer, the mother of one student at the school, took to Facebook after her own son Jeremiah found out about the incident.
Palmer was even angrier when the perpetrators were suspended for just a day and the school district was forced into action thanks to a tidal wave of local anger.