The small, middle of Nebraska town of Lexington has been hit with some racism from their volleyball competitors at games over the past few years, reports suggest. The team has faced racial taunts from fans at their matches in a primarily Latino-populated school district, per a local newspaper report. The taunts are trickling from the high school volleyball matches down to the middle school age level, sparking outcries from the community to the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) board.
The alleged incidents occurred at matches taking place at a North Platte middle school game and a high school match in Minden. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the incidents that have occurred this season have been students wearing “Border Patrol” t-shirts and Lexington students being flipped off. Additionally, Lexington players were reportedly told to “go back where you came from,” and chants from the crowds of “across the border” were allegedly heard as Lexington players attempted their serves.
7 different people with Lexington connections spoke about the alleged racism at the NSAA board meeting last week, attempting to have the comments and actions of the other students deemed as bullying and not just unsportsmanlike conduct.
These incidents are not isolated to just Lexington. In other heavily Latino populated schools around the state there have been reports of players being spat on, being called racist names and being told to “go back home” or “wait until Trump builds the wall” in Schuyler. At Omaha South High School, during a soccer match in 2010, Lincoln East fans threw homemade green cards on the field following the conclusion of the state soccer match – also Creighton Prep students were alleged to have yelled: “Build that wall” at South fans.
Back to Lexington, both Minden and North Platte told the North Platte Telegraph they sent their apologies to Lexington following the incidents.
At the volleyball matches, Lexington’s Superintendent John Hakonson said, “Both schools were hosting ‘Americana Night’ or some similar theme at the event in question. Most students for those schools acted appropriately, often wearing red, white and blue colors to show American pride, but a few used the patriotic theme as an opportunity to insult our Hispanic students and parents.”
Hakonson also mentioned that four other schools have hosted patriotic themed nights while hosting Lexington this season.
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