Tacoma basketball players attacked with racial slurs during game against Gig Harbor High School

Tacoma basketball players were attacked with racial slurs during a local game against Gig Harbor High School, parents said, adding that this issue has been ongoing with the school for more than a year.

KIRO 7 spoke with parents who attended Friday’s game between Lincoln and Gig Harbor high schools.

“They were yelling dance for me and also were making monkey sounds. We didn’t really quite understand what dance for me meant, but when my son went home and Googled it, it referenced a song, Dance Monkey, which kind of goes along with the monkey sounds that were happening in the game,” Erika Edwards, a mother of a Lincoln High School basketball player, said.

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In a recorded video that KIRO 7 received, a person in the crowd is heard yelling what appears to sound like a racial slur as a Lincoln basketball player attempts to shoot a free throw.

According to several Tacoma parents, this issue with Gig Harbor High School has been ongoing for more than a year.

“It is not the first time it has happened. Last season, there were monkey sounds happening in the crowd when we played Gig Harbor in the playoffs. I know this season, it happened in a football game and again this game. It’s upsetting and dehumanizing,” Edwards said.

“Last year in the playoff game, I actually heard a group of 25 Gig Harbor students standing in the bleacher courtside. I can hear them making the monkey sounds,” George Wolford, a Lincoln alumnus, said.

A coach for Lincoln’s football program said one of his players approached him during the middle of a game against Gig Harbor High School and said opposing players were using racial remarks.

Coaches and staff members from both schools met on the field to address the behavior after the game was paused twice, he added.

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KIRO 7 reached out to the Peninsula School District to get its response.

The district declined to talk on camera but shared a statement confirming the multiple incidents with Lincoln High School and that the district apologizes for the “unacceptable behavior.”

“We acknowledge the harm caused by this pattern of behavior and extend our sincere apologies to those affected,” the district wrote. “We are incredibly disappointed by these behaviors and recognize them as part of a larger issue that we, as a district, must address.”

The district continued to write, “We recognize that some concerns within our community may have gone unresolved or lacked the attention they deserved in the past. We want to assure everyone that moving forward, we are fully committed to addressing these issues with transparency, accountability, and thoroughness.”

“The student involved in Friday’s incident was immediately confronted by Gig Harbor High School (GHHS) administrators and removed from the game,” the district added.

However, Lincoln parents, who attended the recent basketball game, said the district’s statement is inaccurate.

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“The coach and the team were right in front him. Nothing happened,” Wolford said. “They didn’t react right away as what that comment in that letter says.”

“They’re (Gig Harbor students) surrounded by their parents. They’re surrounded by their staff members. Are they just ignoring it?” Edwards asked. “Is there a blind eye to it or they truly don’t hear it? Because we hear it on the other side of the gym.”

“There was no apology after the football game. There was no apology last year after they made the monkey sounds at the playoffs versus Gig Harbor. Many emails were sent. We didn’t hear anything,” Edwards added. “If there were real consequences, they would stop doing it.”

A spokesperson for Tacoma Public Schools shared the following statement:

“Tacoma Public School officials have been in contact with officials at Peninsula School District about the recent events last Friday at the basketball game. We understand that situations like these can have significant impacts and understand our responsibility to address these incidents quickly and directly on behalf of our students. We appreciate Peninsula School District’s response, partnership, and acknowledgment of the issue. We will continue to work with surrounding districts, including Peninsula School District, to ensure safe and inclusive environments for all students.”