Texas high school basketball fans accused of making racist taunts at game

Two rival Texas high schools have launched an investigation into racism at a basketball game after fans allegedly made monkey noises at a player of color and wore offensive costumes.

In a clip from the face-off Friday obtained by the Daily Beast, a player from River Road High School in Amarillo can be seen lining up a shot from the free throw line. The student section from Dalhart High School then erupts in noise, including loud monkey calls.

“I think the student section is an amazing student involvement opportunity. But Dalhart has crossed the line tonight,” Cooper Pierce, a senior at River Road, wrote on Facebook of the incident.

Pierce did not identify the player at the free throw line, but said he was “of color.” 

“[Dalhart students] then were calling one of [the] other players of color the N-Word while he was right in front of their student section, trying to pass the ball,” he continued.

Pierce also alleged that Dalhart parents called River Road students “‘ghetto,’ ‘trashy’ and many other extremely disrespectful names” after Dalhart won the game.

“I just hate this for my peers and most importantly my school,” he said.

Commenters on Pierce’s post were similarly outraged by the incident.

“Goes to show the true face of America,” one wrote.

“Little to no consequences will happen but it will bring awareness. Somebody is teaching racism in homes, schools and peer to peer.”

A Dalhart resident also chimed in, writing that they were “embarrassed that they treated y’all like that.”

According to a source in the River Road community who spoke to the Daily Beast, Dalhart students also dubbed the Friday game “Thug night” and wore offensive costumes in the stands.

The outlet obtained a photo of the Dalhart student section that showed the teens with fake face tattoos and wearing backwards caps, sunglasses, and do-rags, or close-fitting caps associated with the black community.

The photo, which has since been deleted from the Dalhart High School Facebook page, was allegedly captioned “Looking a little ‘Thug’ish in here tonight!”

Dalhart Independent School District Superintendent Jeff Byrd acknowledged the incident in a press release on Monday.

“Dalhart ISD will not condone racist or discriminatory behavior,” he wrote.

“It is the district’s expectation that all students, including our student-athletes, communicate respectfully with their opponents and peers from other districts. Likewise, faculty, administrators and coaches are to conduct themselves professionally at all times.” 

Byrd also said administrators were reviewing footage and social media posts from the game, as well as interviewing students and adults who attended.

“Any misconduct by students or staff will be promptly addressed in accordance with Board policy and applicable codes of conduct,” Byrd insisted.

In a statement to the Daily Beast, River Road Superintendent Richard Kelley said the district was “concerned” about the incident’s impact on students.

“Right now, both sides are investigating the situation, and we will continue working toward a resolution. We are very proud of how our athletes and coaches handled a very tense situation,” he said.

The Dalhart Independent School District and the River Road Independent School District did not return The Post’s requests for comments.