Jeremiah Chapman, a Charles City High School baseball player, was taunted with racist comments during an away game at Waverly-Shell Rock High School. He was repeatedly called, "Colin," presumably in reference to Colin Kaepernick. Jeremiah was also told, "You should have been George Floyd," and "You need to go back to the fields to do your job," the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
In response, ACLU of Iowa Executive Director Mark Stringer has issued the following statement.
"No Iowa athlete should have to endure racist taunts like these. The comment made to a Black student about “going back to the fields” is a clear reference advocating slavery and is absolutely intolerable. Singling out a student by calling him by the name of a Black activist like Colin Kaepernick, however admirable that activist is, is also intolerable behavior.
"Schools have a legal obligation under state and federal law to protect their students from racial discrimination in school, including in school sports. If schools fail to do so, they can be sued.
"We also urge the Iowa High School Athletic Association to continue with its stated plans to develop a policy that specifically addresses racism against student athletes.
"In Nebraska, after other similar incidents, school officials have been urged by a coalition of advocacy organizations to:
- collect data specifically on racist incidents;
- ensure penalties are applied to teams that repeatedly participate in this conduct; and
- establish a public complaint process for people who witness concerning behavior at athletic events, such as parents or guardians."
