Antisemitism hit the court at a New York school as alleged slurs against a visiting team landed a coach and player in hot water.
Thursday, two girls’ basketball teams in Westchester County, New York, just outside the Big Apple, saw their matchup escalate well beyond unsportsmanlike conduct and forced to an early conclusion after one side was accused of antisemitism against the other.
The incident occurred at Roosevelt High School – Early College Studies, a government-run school in Yonkers, when the visiting team from the Leffell School, a private Jewish institute in Hartsdale, faced off in what started with a “somewhat hostile environment.”
Such was the account of player Robin Bosworth who detailed the experience in an op-ed for her school’s newspaper, The Lion’s Roar.
“Throughout the first half of our game…there was a somewhat hostile environment, with substantially more jabs and comments thrown at the players on our team than what I have experienced in the past,” described Bosworth who went on to explain that by the third quarter, “Members of our team started to get injured from the other team’s physical style of play. At the end of the quarter, players on the opposing team started shouting ‘Free Palestine’ and other antisemitic slurs and curses at us.”
“I have never experienced this kind of hatred directed at one of my teams before,” she added.
Along with a “Free Palestine” chant, there were uncorroborated claims that someone had called out, “I support Hamas, you f*cking Jew,” before the game was brought to a close and, according the New York Post, the visiting team was escorted away by security.
“I support Hamas, you fucking Jew,” a Roosevelt player snarled at a Leffell opponent, according to the New York City Public Schools Alliance. pic.twitter.com/o1lKsWz61M
— DarkArtsPhotography (@DarkArtsPhoto) January 8, 2024
In a joint statement released by Yonkers Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Luis Rodriguez and Mayor Mike Spano, the public officials expressed, “The Yonkers Public Schools, along with the City of Yonkers, sincerely apologize to the students and community of The Leffell School for the painful and offensive comments made to their women’s basketball team during a recent game with Roosevelt High School.”
“Collectively, we do not and will not tolerate hate speech of any kind from our students and community,” they went o,n adding, “The antisemitic rhetoric reportedly made against the student athletes of The Leffell School are abhorrent, inappropriate and not in line with the values we set forth for our young people.”
While the investigation remained ongoing as of Sunday, the officials indicated that they had taken swift action over the incident and said, “After a thorough review of videos taken at the game and interviews with those who witnessed the incident, the Yonkers Public Schools dismissed the coach and one player from the Roosevelt basketball team.”
Along with administering “counseling and guided training sessions” within the school as a preventative measure, Spano announced a “convening of religious, educational and civic leaders.”
Further, News 12 Westchester reported that a plan is in the works to “bring student-athletes and principals from both schools together to address the incident and promote mutual understanding.”
Having highlighted the rampant sentiments against Jews and Israel, especially since the Oct. 7 terror attack from Hamas, the non-partisan group StopAntisemitism took to social media contending the ramifications weren’t near enough.
“The team overall should be suspended for an entire season. Furthermore,” the group wrote, “every player that made an antisemitic comment should be kicked off the team, write a handwritten apology, and face school suspension. Enough is enough.”
The team overall should be suspended for an entire season.
Furthermore, every player that made an antisemitic comment should be kicked off the team, write a handwritten apology, and face school suspension.
Enough is enough.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) January 7, 2024
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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