SOUTH LYON, Mich. – South Lyon High School and East Lansing High School went head to head in a district championship football game last Friday.
Before kickoff, someone caught a video of a person shouting an inappropriate comment at East Lansing High School players who were kneeling during the National Anthem.
The game was played at South Lyon High School. East Lansing Public Schools superintendent said they learned about the situation and other racially charged actions earlier this week. Both school districts are investigating.
East Lansing High School football players have knelt during the National Anthem since the 2020 season. At last Friday’s game, someone in the South Lyon section shouted at the high schoolers.
“We were like, ‘Did he really just yell that?’ And, ‘How is that respecting the National Anthem? That you’re yelling at while our kids are being respectful,’” a parent of an East Lansing player said.
Parents said nothing was done at that moment. South Lyon Community Schools looked at the video and spoke with people who attended the game.
“A spectator at the South Lyon High School vs. East Lansing High School football game made an inappropriate comment during the playing of the National Anthem. It is regrettable that this spectator chose to say the inappropriate comment. Our staff investigated the comment using video and spectator interviews. The investigation has led us to believe the comment was made by a spectator who was standing in our student section. That spectator is not a South Lyon Community Schools student nor affiliated with South Lyon Community Schools.
The South Lyon High School athletic director has been in frequent contact with the athletic director at East Lansing High School regarding the allegations of inappropriate comments made by South Lyon High School football players. The East Lansing coaches and game officials have been questioned and no such concerns regarding inappropriate comments were brought to their attention during or after the game. At no point have concerns about the sportsmanship of our student athletes been raised by the East Lansing athletic director. These types of comments are not condoned nor are they representative of our students, staff, and community.”
South Lyon Community Schools
East Lansing parents said the issues weren’t only with the comment that was made during the National Anthem.
Parents say the issues weren’t brought to their attention until after the game, when the kids were returning home.
“They discussed on the bus how kids were called [expletive], [expletive] lovers if they were not Black,” a parent said.
Video also shows a student being punched after a play.
Parents of East Lansing students want an apology.
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