'Cross that line': High school baseball players shout racist chants at opposing team

02 May

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A local high school baseball team in California's Bay Area is now in hot water after several of its players were heard yelling racist taunts at opposing players.

CBS affiliate WBTW reported Friday that parents want accountability from school officials after hearing "blatant racism" from players during an April 23 game between Albany and Pinole Valley High Schools. According to cellphone video, Pinole Valley players called Asian players "P.F. Chang" and "Baljeet," after the Chinese restaurant chain and the 'Phineas & Ferb" character, respectively. Parents described the taunts as "blatant racism" and "discrimination."

"It’s not an acceptable behavior by any means, particularly in this community of ours, in the Bay Area," parent Mattison Ly told KRON. "I just don’t think that behavior, in this day, is tolerable."

"Understanding that their words and actions and intentions have serious real-world consequences, beyond which they can even understand,” parent Jason Turvow said of the chants. “It’s hit heavy on this side of the field.”

Eugene Lee, another parent who was present at the game, said that Pinole Valley's baseball season should be ended prematurely and that

“It sends the right message,” Lee said. “It means that if you cross that line and you bring hate onto the field, you don’t get to take the field. Any action that happens after the season that doesn’t impact the current team in the current season ... is largely irrelevant.”

The Albany Unified School District's superintendent's office said that they had spoken with both the baseball coach and the school's athletic director regarding the incident, and sent out a district-wide email saying it had filed several complaints. However, Lee is calling for stiffer consequences for those responsible.

Click here to read the original report.

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