High School Basketball Team Suspended For Racist Pregame Chants

At least twelve girls from Kenmore East High School have been suspended for, among other things, taking part in a pregame chant that goes a little something like this: " One, two, three [N-word]!" Seriously. I copied and pasted it just to be safe. For years, apparently, the girls of Kenmore East High School would hold hands and, wait for it—say a prayer—before invoking the pregame "psych-up tradition" without so much as a pantie being twisted. So what now?

"The team's only African-American player this year, sophomore Tyra Batts, said she was shocked when she learned of the tradition before the team's opening game against Sweet Home High School last Friday...Tyra added that her teammates would routinely make racial references and jokes during practice, including ones regarding slavery, shackles and "picking cotton." She said her coach, Kristy Bondgren, heard comments from other players about Tyra being black but was unaware of the pregame chant."

Ah, that'll do it. Tyra rightfully objected and told the rest of the team that, you know, you shouldn't be saying shit like that because it made her uncomfortable. A reasonable position. Surely the girls understood and set to coming up with a new "psych-up tradition."

"They said, 'You know we're not racist, Tyra. It's just a word, not a label.'" Ah, crap.

Eventually things came to blows after another racially charged moment at a later practice. Things got heated after Batts "said something dumb to a teammate" and the girl got angry and responded by calling her a "black piece of [expletive]." This all culminated with Batts attacking the girl the following Monday at school. She threw her into a locker and punched and choked her. Batts said "[i]t was a buildup of anger and frustration at being singled out of the whole team."

I should fucking say so. I mean, on what fucking planet would anyone think that chanting "one, two, three [n-word]!" is in any way acceptable? I try not to get too crazy and self righteously indignant about race but, Jesus Christ on crutches, this is just straight up crazy. But rest assured, the Superintendent will be "voluntarily rescinding last year's Niagara Frontier League Sportsmanship Award for the entire school."

h/t Alan Basketball players suspended for N-word [ Buffalo News]