Basketball. Photo by Kylie Osullivan via Unsplash.
South Oak Cliff High School cheerleaders were allegedly subject to racial slurs spoken by white students at a recent basketball game against Woodrow Wilson High School, a Dallas ISD trustee told WFAA.
Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson, whose district includes South Oak Cliff High School, said in a Facebook video that he saw white students holding a poster with the word “Mecca” surrounded by clown emojis at the Jan. 27 game at Woodrow. South Oak Cliff supporters often call the campus “the Mecca.”
Johnson also said in the video that the cheerleaders told him they were being called the N-word and a vulgar term used to refer to female dogs.
“My community is upset, my girls are upset, and the parents are upset,” he said in the video.
Johnson added that he addressed the issue with district administrators who were at the game.
South Oak Cliff Principal Willie Fred Johnson and Woodrow Wilson High School Principal Chandra Barnett released a letter in response to the incident, but Maxie Johnson said in the video he thought the letter was too vague and should have been more transparent.
“During Friday’s South Oak Cliff/Woodrow Wilson basketball games some adult and student behavior did not meet our expectations, and both campus administrations are working closely together to address those concerns,” according to the letter, which was addressed to families of the two schools. “Though the actions of a few don’t define who we are as a community, there is still work to do to ensure everyone feels safe, seen, and supported.”
The letter, which was shared on Maxie Johnson and Barnett’s Facebook pages, also said Dallas ISD is investigating the incident, and the schools will “revisit protocols and procedures that may need to be adjusted.” Disciplinary action could be taken, according to WFAA.
Dallas ISD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
