INDIANAPOLIS — Pike High School student athletes and parents are upset about an incident that happened during a recent volleyball game.
Parents told 13News they are tired of racism in sports.
"This is not the first, second, third or fourth time that something like this has happened," said parent Alleala Ransom.
What started as a fun Saturday afternoon ended shockingly when Pike High School parents said a player on the New Palestine volleyball team yelled racist slurs, calling the players "monkeys" during the match.
"If they feel like anyone can try and talk to them any kind of way while they try and be the bigger person, they can continue doing it because they don't want to be stereotyped as being angry. It hurts," Ransom said.
What also hurt parents, they said, was the conversations about racism following the game.
"It's painful. It's painful. What do we do? What are we doing to make the world better? We got to let them know this is not OK," said Pike parent Rhonda King.
Now the parents are worried about the incident being swept under the rug.
New Palestine released a statement about the incident that said the school had disciplined the student involved. They did not offer specifics. Some parents say that's not good enough.
"People need to know when you do these things there are consequences that could possibly impact you forever because they affect us forever," said King.
The Indiana High School Athletic Association has gotten involved. Commissioner Paul Neidig released this statement:
“The Indiana High School Athletic Association is aware of the incident that occurred during a New Palestine-Pike volleyball match last Saturday. We have been in contact with administrators at both schools, and believe that appropriate disciplinary action and proactive measures to correct unacceptable behavior are underway. As educators, we must use this as a teachable moment. It is never appropriate to make fun of, taunt, threaten, or belittle anyone over race, religion, nationality, or any other difference. Instead, those differences are to be respected, celebrated, and championed. We look forward to the day when we do not have to have this type of conversation. Until that day, however, we must continue to educate the young people we serve.”
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