'No Place For Racism': Lincoln-Way East Students Walk Out Amid Fallout Of Racist Incident

FRANKFORT, IL — Roughly three dozen Lincoln-Way East students staged a walkout Wednesday, nearly a week after an incident in which five of the school's fans taunted Homewood-Flossmoor students at a football game.

The Sept. 4 incident—captured on video by several in the stands during the two teams' varsity game Friday—showed five students mimicking the movements and sounds of monkeys, flapping their arms and crawling on the ground.

The students walked out late Wednesday morning, trekking across the parking lot to the football field. The student response Wednesday echoed that of administrators on Tuesday: "No place for racism."

Following an initial statement by Lincoln-Way District 210 on Saturday, Lincoln-Way East Principal Toriano Griggs on Tuesday issued a follow-up letter to parents, calling the students' actions "hurtful and completely unacceptable."

RELATED: 'Deeply Disappointing': Lincoln-Way East Principal Speaks Out On Racist Incident Ahead Of Student Walkout

Griggs said he has personally reviewed the videos and spoken with students, families, and others who were present.

"I want to be very clear: the racial slurs, monkey noises, and racist gestures that occurred Friday night were hurtful and completely unacceptable," Griggs said in the letter. "This behavior has no place at Lincoln-Way East or anywhere else."

Griggs said officials have identified the students involved and are continuing to address the incident through "established disciplinary process."

He noted that because the issue involves individual students, administration cannot publicly discuss specific consequences, "but there will be accountability."

Homewood-Flossmoor High School administrators issued a scathing condemnation of the fans' behavior, calling it "a very bad choice to engage in disrespectful and racist harassment" toward Homewood-Flossmoor fans.

The administrators said school leadership and the district's board of education are working with Lincoln-Way East leadership and local authorities as they "consider all options to protect against this in the future, including legal options."

Lincoln-Way District 210's statement called the incident "inappropriate and offensive behavior," also stressing that the students involved are not members of the school's football team.

"We would like to sincerely apologize to the HF community for the behavior displayed by these students," the district's statement reads. "This behavior does not reflect the expectations and standards we have for Lincoln-Way students. The district is taking this matter seriously. We have identified the students involved and will follow through with the district’s discipline policies and procedures to the fullest extent."

Griggs emphasized and expounded on the district's statement.

"Our responsibility, however, goes beyond discipline," he wrote. "We have heard from students, particularly some of our Black students, about the hurt, anger, embarrassment, and disappointment this incident has caused. We are listening to them and working to ensure they feel supported, respected, and valued at East."

He said staff addressed the incident directly with students on Tuesday.

"We reminded students that being a Griffin is about much more than wearing blue and white," he wrote. "It is about how we treat others, having the courage to speak up when something is wrong, and understanding the responsibility that comes with representing our school.

"I encourage you to talk with your student about what occurred and the role each of us plays in creating a school where every student feels respected and knows they belong."

One Lincoln-Way East student has started an online petition calling for the expulsion of the students involved. It has garnered 428 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

"Racism, although no one admits it, is something displayed extremely often in schools as well as community," the petition reads. "So often that it is seen as normalized. No matter the sense a racist comment is made in, it can affect someone deeply and is extremely unacceptable. Lincoln-Way East High School needs to take concrete, statement steps, that acts such as this are completely unacceptable and that from this incident and forward, acts of racism need to be taken more seriously.

"The Lincoln-Way 210 district states in its handbook that it has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying or harassment. Doing an act such as what this group of students did, deserves extreme reprimand."

In a statement provided Sunday, the IHSA addressed the fans' behavior, noting that the school is cooperating in determining next steps.

"The IHSA strongly condemns the racist actions that were perpetrated by a small number of Lincoln-Way East High School students in attendance at its football game against Homewood-Flossmoor High School on September 4," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "High school sports are defined by community and camaraderie, and every high school student-athlete in Illinois deserves to compete in a safe and respectful environment. These values are requisite to remain a member in good standing of the IHSA, and the Lincoln-Way East administration has affirmed that they recognize the serious nature of this situation and are acting accordingly. We will be working with both schools to make sure an appropriate resolution is reached and to be a resource in any way that we can."

Griggs called Friday night "deeply disappointing.

"What matters now is how we respond, what we learn, and what we do moving forward," he wrote. "Our actions must demonstrate the values we expect from the Lincoln-Way East community."

A second incident involving the schools

Homewood-Flossmoor High School officials on Tuesday said a second incident occurred over the weekend, involving the two schools' cross-country teams.

"Three HF athletes shared a description of one of the LWE coaches making comments about running 'past those monkeys' to the LWE team in the starting box directly adjacent," the school said. "The athletes then reported that some of the team began cheering and making 'noises that were racist' and 'monkey gestures.'"

The descriptions are pictured below, as provided by Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

In one, a participant said that a Lincoln-Way East coach was heard shouting "Let's go get those monkey's!!" or "Let's beat those monkey's!!"

"This coach wasn't saying that quietly either, she yelled it out," the account reads. "And, the coach never made eye contact with our team, but they were right next to us."

Another wrote that the coach shouted, "All right girls, we gotta try to get those monkeys and the athletes started making monkey noises and gestures," the description reads.

"It was reported that the coach in question stated she was sharing with the LWE runners that they call that event the 'Jungle,' and the HF team must have misunderstood what was said," Homewood-Flossmoor officials said.

A parent present at the invitational Saturday told Patch Tuesday that the school's account of the incident was inaccurate and that any comments were misinterpreted. The Lincoln-Way East team was unaware of Friday's incident at the time of the event, the parent said. The area in which the girls were running is heavily wooded, the parent said, with many referring to it as "The Jungle."

Homewood-Flossmoor High School administration said it plans to pursue legal action in the incident on Saturday, as well as the incident at Friday's football game.

"HF Community High School District wants all of our families to know, we do not take racial harassment incidents lightly," they said. "We are a community built on excellence and we will continue to stand together—with pride, respect, and with unwavering support for our students, staff and faculty."

The IHSA said it is investigating the incident.

“The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) received a report this morning (September 8) from Homewood-Flossmoor High School, detailing that their student-athletes had been subjected to unacceptable words and actions by athletes and coaches from another IHSA member high school at a cross country meet on September 5," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson.

"High school sports are an extension of the classroom and every high school student-athlete in Illinois should be provided the opportunity to compete in a safe space. Demeaning words and actions cannot and will not be tolerated. Under the auspices of the IHSA’s Hate Speech & Harassment Policy, this report triggers an investigation by the IHSA. The investigation process is now underway, and we will work tirelessly to achieve a resolution that reflects the serious nature of this situation."

Officials react

Local officials and organizations are speaking out against the Saturday incident.

The Village of Frankfort has issued a statement, calling the behavior in the video "abhorrent, offensive" and said it "does not reflect the values of the Village of Frankfort or our residents, students or families.

The Village said Frankfort "is a welcoming community that values its strong, positive relationships with neighboring municipalities, including Homewood-Flossmoor."

"We fully understand why members of the Homewood-Flossmoor community and others were upset by these actions, and we want to state unequivocally that such behavior is not condoned," the Village said. "We hope this does not overshadow the longstanding, positive connections shared between our communities every day. The Village of Frankfort remains dedicated to fostering an environment built with mutual respect where everyone feels valued and welcome."

The Villages of Homewood and Flossmoor, Flossmoor District 161, Homewood School District 153, Flossmoor and Homewood public libraries and Homewood-Flossmoor Park District issued a joint statement.

"In response to the racist actions and language directed towards Homewood-Flossmoor High School students this past weekend, we — the government agencies in the Villages of Homewood and Flossmoor — stand with our H-F students, families, faculty and staff members," the statement reads. "We are extremely saddened and outraged that students were subject to vile acts of racism. This should not have happened, and it is not acceptable.

"Homewood and Flossmoor are examples of inclusive, diverse and welcoming villages. We take pride in our community spirit and greatly value — and celebrate — our diversity. We want our youngest residents to know that they will all be welcomed and supported where they live, learn and play.

"Hate has no home here"

The NAACP Chicago Far South Suburban Branch on Wednesday called the incident "dehumanizing" for Homewood-Flossmoor students.

"We are deeply disturbed by the reported racist harassment directed toward Homewood-Flossmoor High School students during the Sept. 4 football game involving Lincoln-Way East High School," the organization said in a statement issued by NAACP Chicago Far South Suburban Branch President Gary Dingle.

"Racial slurs, racist gestures, and dehumanizing conduct have no place in our schools, athletic programs, or communities. Such behavior cannot be dismissed as a joke or simply attributed to youthful misconduct. It causes real harm and reinforces a culture of intolerance that we must work together to eliminate.

"We commend the Homewood-Flossmoor administrators and staff for responding to the incident and protecting their students. We also acknowledge Lincoln-Way East's public apology and its stated commitment to addressing the conduct through its disciplinary process.

"An apology, however, must be accompanied by accountability and meaningful action."