Ossining Asks For Probe Of Racist Slur At Basketball Game

OSSINING, NY — Ossining school officials are taking steps to deal with a slur directed toward a member of the girls' varsity basketball team during a game Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie.

"A fan from Our Lady of Lourdes directed a racist comment towards one of our players," said Superintendent Ray Sanchez in an email to the community. "In response, we have been in close contact with Our Lady of Lourdes High School Leadership and Section 1 to address the incident and our concerns about how it was handled. We have requested a comprehensive investigation and consequences that meet the serious nature of this incident. We have met with our scholars and provided resources to support and ensure the dignity of all individuals and our community."

Section 1 officials said the schools must investigate the matter together. They sent a statement to Patch:

The Section has been made aware of the incident involving a spectator at the Our Lady of Lourdes vs. Ossining Girls Basketball game this past weekend. The Section has been in continuous conversation with the administration from both schools involved. At this juncture, it is the Section’s expectation that the involved districts initiate and conduct a thorough investigation. It is critical that the schools involved work together and maintain open lines of communication to clarify issues in their effort to seek a timely and appropriate resolution in accordance with their Districts’ Code of Conducts. The Section will not tolerate negative statements or actions, inclusive of racial or discriminatory comments or slurs. The organization firmly believes in the values that athletics can bring to student-athletes and their communities. These values can only exist in an environment absent of discrimination and hate. The actions and behavior of spectators continues to be the responsibility of the schools, and as stated in our Standards, the expectation is that spectator remarks that are deemed inappropriate will be addressed by school district officials. We will continue to support the efforts of school district officials throughout their continued conversations.

Calls to Our Lady of Lourdes had not been returned by the time this article was posted. However, The Journal News reported that Catherine B. Merryman, the president of the school, released this statement Wednesday:

Our Lady of Lourdes High School teaches young women and men from many racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, a values-infused curriculum, based upon the example of Jesus Christ. Racism is contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church and contrary to the values of all Catholic schools, including Our Lady of Lourdes. We have and will continue to hold our entire school community, including our students, to the highest standards of behavior.

Daisy and William Florez, the parents of the Ossining student, told TJN that they distinctly heard the racist outburst from the student fans and recorded it because they were capturing a moment when their daughter was making a free throw.

According to lohud.com, after they heard it, Ossining parents at the game went to security and spoke to Lourdes administrators, but felt the incident was brushed off as just kids trying to distract players by naming random foods.

"We do not condone or tolerate messages that cause harm," Sanchez said. "I want to be clear that the Ossining Union Free School District is committed to providing a school environment where all students feel welcomed, accepted, and safe. We hope that Our Lady of Lourdes High School will join us in our mission to provide safe spaces for all students and take the necessary actions now and in the future."

There have been several recent reports of people yelling racial slurs in local school settings, one at a school board meeting and another at a sporting event. SEE:

• After Racial Slurs In Lakeland, Teachers Urged To Show Support
• Nyack Demands Probe Of Pearl River's Racist Taunts At Game

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include the response from Section I.