Apology From Haddonfield To West Deptford Regarding Racial Incident

HADDONFIELD, NJ — The Haddonfield School District has apologized to the West Deptford School District regarding a racial incident that occurred during a baseball game earlier this spring between the two schools.

The district did not release details of the incident.

However, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a white member of the Haddonfield High School baseball team had made "monkey sounds" at a Black player on the West Deptford baseball team earlier this year.

Chuck Klaus, Haddonfield School District Superintendent, told Patch that the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association told him that the incident did in fact occur. Haddonfield also "took appropriate remedial action," according to Klaus.

These actions included "included formally apologizing to West Deptford, conducting meetings with every athletic program to emphasize sportsmanship and organizing a task force for the summer to address professional development for coaches and training for student-athletes," according to Klaus.

West Deptford was "satisfied" with Haddonfield's response, he added.

What action, if any, will be taken against the members of the Haddonfield baseball team that were involved in the incident was not disclosed.

"We do not disclose consequences of students or staff," Klaus told Patch. "That would be inappropriate."

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