Texas School Claims Students’ U-S-A Chant Was ‘Racist’ and Apologizes
Victor Skinner, EAG News, January 22, 2015
Idalou Independent School District are apologizing to nearby Slaton schools and dispelling charges of racism after fans chanted “USA! USA! USA!” following a girls basketball victory last week.
The chanting, which took place after the Idalou Wildcats bested the Slaton Tigers Tuesday, was perceived as racist because the Slaton Independent School District is comprised of 74 percent Hispanic and 7 percent African American students, Fox 34 reports.
“The chant USA should be for all of us, it should be inclusive,” Slaton superintendent Julee Becker told the news site. “We are making other people aware of what that behavior by just a few, what impact it had on us, us as a tiger nation and family.”
The USA chant is a touchy subject in Texas. In 2012, students and fans from San Antonio’s Alamo Heights High School chanted “USA! USA!” when they won the Region IV Class 4A title against city rivals at the mostly Hispanic Edison High School.
The San Antonio Independent School District filed a complaint with the University Interscholastic League, which prompted Alamo Heights officials to apologize and suspend students who participated from future games, LubbockOnline.com reports.
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Becker told the site she plans to highlight the issue by addressing Slaton students and the local community.
“They deserve to know that we won’t let it go,” she said. “We don’t tolerate racism in our schools.”
“We’re all USA,” Becker said, according to Lubbock Online.
