New Athletic Director At Greenfield HS After Accusation Of Racism

GREENFIELD, WI — Trent Lower will no longer serve as Greenfield High School's athletic director, effective immediately, according to a statement Monday from Superintendent Lisa Elliott.

A Black student recently accused Lower, who is white, of using the word "boy" toward him in a demeaning way multiple times, according to a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"Thorough investigations take time, and the District appreciates the community’s patience and
understanding throughout the process," Elliott said in a statement received by Patch. "The events involving the former athletic director are not consistent with the belief statement in the School District of Greenfield’s Mission Statement which states that 'all learning begins with meaningful relationships.'"

Greenfield student Omar Surveyor, a 17-year-old member of the school's varsity basketball team, told TMJ4 News about the experience he said he had with Lower, the athletic director, during a lunch period at the school.

He says Lower used the word "boy" toward him multiple times, according to the TMJ4 report.

"I didn't like it at all, I thought it was beyond racist," Surveyor told the TV station, "I told him multiple times don't call me that word I don't like it."

After Surveyor spoke out about his experience, his basketball team wore practice t-shirts in support to a game on Feb. 1, according to reports.

The shirts read "My Name is not Boy," The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The word has a history of being used in a derogatory manner toward Black men.

"It is widely recognized in the that the use of the term 'boy' to describe an African-American man is deeply offensive," the NAACP wrote about a separate case involving the word in 2010.

Beverly Juarez, Surveyor's mother, told the Journal Sentinel she and other parents have shared similar experiences of racism toward people of color in the school district.

"This man has displayed this behavior with several different students," she told the newspaper before Elliott announced Lower will no longer serve as the athletic director.

On Friday, a private meeting between members of the basketball team, their parents and administrators was scheduled. According to a WISN 12 report, Lower apologized at the meeting, but some parents left disappointed.

"He could have apologized to Omar in a public setting, just like he disrespected him in a public setting," parent Jerome Smith told WISN 12.

"The Mission Statement illustrates our responsibility to the Greenfield learning community, which is to create an environment where each student, parent, staff member, and community member is valued and respected for their individual differences and strengths," Elliott's statement said. "Anything less than that has no place in our schools."

"There has been damage to relationships and broken trust within our community and we are committed to repairing and restoring both," Elliott's statement continued. "The entire Greenfield Learning Community will use this as a learning opportunity, so that we might fully realize our District’s Mission."

Thad Dulde, who has been a math teacher, baseball and hockey coach at Greenfield High School since 2013, will be assuming the responsibilities of athletic director, according to Elliott. Because he will be transitioning from the classroom, it will take some time before Dulde assumes all responsibilities, she said in the statement.

It was not immediately clear in Elliott's statement whether or not Lower will still be employed by the district in some capacity. This article will be updated to clarify that when Patch hears back.

On Wednesday, the varsity Boys Basketball Coach resigned, according to Todd Willems, the principal of the school.

Patch reached out to Lower for comment.