” We make no reasons, because there are none,” Waverly-Shell Rock Community School Districts post stated. “We do, however, wish to make a genuine apology to the Charles City school district and community and, in specific, the boy towards whom these comments were directed.”
” We cant undo whats been done. But we are utilizing this as a learning experience for the responsible party and, we hope, for lots of others in our neighborhoods and schools.”
” I was mad because as a parent, this is the one fear I have for him,” she said. “The other part of me was kind of relieved that it did happen due to the fact that it opened Jeremiahs eyes to not be colorblind and so naive and oblivious to the reality that things like this still take place.”
Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District asked forgiveness in
a Facebook post for the habits.
Cunnings said she does not believe individuals accountable for the comments were attempting to be racist.
” I seem like they were being kids and just trying to state whatever they might state to toss him (Jeremiah) off his game and unfortunately they took it to race,” she said.
Its unclear who made the comments.
Both the Charles City and Waverly-Shell Rock school districts called the remarks from the stands undesirable.
Other gamers of color have stepped forward in the past with similar stories of racial remarks and actions while playing roadway games, Charles City Community School District Superintendent Mike Fisher told CNN.
Administrators have attempted to resolve some of the events by sending out personnel with university teams to away events, Fisher said.
” However we realized even this work has been a Band-Aid,” he said. We want to make sure that all of our students of color know that we have their backs privately and publicly.”
Following some of the comments, the umpire asked Chapman if he wished to stop briefly the video game, however Chapman stated no since he didnt wish to let his teammates down.
” That right there really suggested a lot to me,” he said. “I didnt expect him (the umpire) to actually care as much about it, but he actually was ready to do something about it.”
The school district didnt call the player. Jeremiah Chapman, who says hes the only Black gamer on the Charles City High group, told CNN that fans screamed “You must have been George Floyd” and “Get back to the fields.”
” I try my hardest to have everybody like me since thats simply my personality,” Chapman said. “And its just difficult seeing that no matter how difficult I try, individuals cant accept me because of my skin color.”
Chapmans mom, Keisha Cunnings, told CNN she wasnt at the video game but was flooded with mixed emotions when her child contacted us to inform her what occurred.
Chapman stated he was even called “Colin” at one point, which he thinks was a recommendation to
Colin Kaepernick, the previous NFL quarterback commonly understood for kneeling during the National Anthem in an effort to object authorities cruelty.
Iowa
resumed high school sports in June and Chapman told CNN he was delighted to get back to some sense of normalcy after the coronavirus pandemic brought his junior year to a screeching halt. After hearing several disheartening remarks during Saturdays video game, he said he was mad and hurt.
