Alleged racist taunts at school game under investigation

CAMAS, Wash. (AP) — A school district in southwestern Washington is investigating reports of racist taunting that allegedly happened at a high school girls basketball game in December.

The investigation launched by the Camas School District follows a complaint by Portland, Oregon, Benson High School girls basketball coach Eric Knox, The Columbian reported.

He said his team, which is made up of people who are predominantly Black, was subjected to taunts and racist slurs on Dec. 10 from the Camas student section during a game.

Interim superintendent Doug Hood in a letter to Camas parents sent Monday said some interviews have been conducted with more likely happening this week.

In his complaint, Knox said the slurs started during the junior varsity game and continued during the varsity game with Benson varsity players telling him they were hearing individuals from the student section using the N-word.

Knox eventually told referees he would pull his team if the behavior didn’t stop and Benson finished the game, winning 60-52. He said the Camas players were “great” and none engaged in any objectionable conduct.

Washington Interscholastic Activities Association executive director Mick Hoffman told KGW-TV that he appreciates both the Benson team bringing it forward and Camas leadership addressing it.

"Hopefully, we can get to a point where we’re preventing and not reacting,” he said.

Hood did not give an estimate of when the investigation might conclude but said in his letter that racist slurs and remarks will not be tolerated.

“In our schools, in our hallways and in our community, it is a shared responsibility to call out injustice and racism,” he wrote.

Portland Public Schools in a statement called the incident an affront to their school district's core values and said...