Haywood calls for action in racial slur incident
In the aftermath of a racial slur found in an Upper Moreland High School locker room, state Sen. Art Haywood, D-4th Dist., has renewed calls for disciplinary action from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The incident involves a Dec.
20, 2022 basket- ball game between Cheltenham and Upper Moreland junior varsity and varsity boys basketball teams.
Hosted by Upper Moreland at the high school in Willow Grove, Cheltenham team members were placed in the visiting team locker room. There, the “n-word was written on a dry-erase board in the visitors’ team room,” according to Cheltenham School District Superintendent Brian Scriven in a letter to the school community.
The letter from Scriven and Cheltenham High School Principal Jimmy D’Andrea on Dec. 21, 2022 was sent to Cheltenham High School families and staff. The letter stated that Patrick Fleury, Cheltenham’s basketball coach and athletic director, reported the incident to Upper Moreland administrative leadership.
“On behalf of the Upper Moreland administration, I extend an apology to the student-athletes, coaching staff, fans, and the community of the Cheltenham School District. This is not the experience we want to provide to our visiting teams,” said Upper Moreland Township School District Superintendent Susan Elliot in a Dec. 21, 2022 letter to the Upper Moreland School Community.
In late December, Cheltenham and Upper Moreland officials sought to investigate the incident.
Haywood asserted that not enough has been done. He recalled speaking with a Cheltenham High School basketball player about what he’d experienced that day. He asked the state legislator charged with representing parts of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties “has anything been done?”
“No. There have been no consequences, and without consequences, I will not rest,” Haywood said in an interview.
Cheltenham High School’s demographic breakdowns show 55.7 percent Black, 29.1 percent white, 6.8 percent Asian, and 6.3 percent Hispanic students. Upper Moreland’s figures were recorded as 71.4 percent white, 11 percent Black, 8.7 percent Hispanic, and 3.7 percent Asian students attending the high school, according to U.S. News & World Report statistics for the 2022 school year.
This is not the first time Cheltenham School District’s students and athletic teams have encountered racial slurs. During a 2017 football game against Quakertown, middle school students from the Bucks County school district threw rocks at a Cheltenham bus, and hurled racial as well as other derogatory remarks towards students.
“I was appalled that young people would be subject to racial epithets were just trying to enjoy interscholastic sports,” Haywood said, of the Dec. 20 incident.
Haywood then sent inquiries to PIAA representatives regarding a forthcoming investigation between late December 2022 and January. He came to learn the responsibilities would instead be left to the Cheltenham and Upper Moreland school districts.
Haywood called the decision “disgraceful and wholly unacceptable.”
“They’re not creating a precedent,” Haywood said. “There is no precedent that they are creating other than be a victim and let the school resolve it; and be a victim, let the school resolve it; and be a victim again and let the school resolve it. So it creates no league standard.”
Elliot updated Upper Moreland parents and community members in a Jan. 10 letter.
“The findings of this investigation showed no factual evidence suggesting that either our Boys’ or Girls’ Basketball Teams wrote the racist language and inappropriate images on the dry erase board,” Elliot said. “Because the person(s) responsible for the writing on the board have not been determined yet, we will continue our investigation and follow any leads.”
To that, Haywood said “I think the investigation is important, but accountability is also important.”
Elliot said in the letter sent out last month that the incident is still very much on people’s minds.
“The student-athletes, coaches, staff, and administration are deeply troubled, upset, and embarrassed by this event, and we want to take steps to heal and grow,” Elliot said. “We, like many of you, want Upper Moreland to be an equitable and inclusive school district and community where all feel safe and know that we embrace and welcome the diversity of our community.”
Elliot said steps were taken to implement changes including meeting with high school student leadership, furthering the efforts of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee and gaining guidance from “various outside organizations.”
“We continue our focus on strengthening our culture and climate through fostering relationships with students, articulating and modeling clear expectations in our schools, and capitalizing on opportunities to help students learn from mistakes while holding them accountable,” Elliott said.
Haywood directed his ire at the state athletic organization, asserting its lack of involvement in thoroughly investigating the incident.
“League standards have to come from league; the league is managed by PIAA,” he said. “This truly trying to punt it to the teams does nothing to enforce league standards, and … it’s wholly unacceptable and disgraceful that they would put young people in a position where this could reoccur.”
Haywood said in the Feb. 3 statement that the “PIAA continues to tolerate racial harassment.” Other community leaders also spoke out, insisting further actions be taken.
Cheltenham Township Commissioner Irv Brockington said that he “refuse(s) to be silent and patient.”
“PIAA must take the necessary steps to ensure that our students are given what they deserve — respect and protection from intolerable racism and bigotry,” Brockington said. “We all have to be courageous and disciplined to make this happen.”
Eddie Graham, president of the NAACP’s Cheltenham branch, agreed.
“We are outraged and disgusted by what occurred and fully support the school, and our young athletes, as we navigate through the period of investigation,” Graham said in a statement. “We stand with Sen. Haywood in demanding that the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association immediately place Upper Moreland’s boys’ basketball team on probation.”
“It’s clear to me that once Upper Moreland is put on probation for this kind of misconduct of their students that … other teams in the league will learn a lesson, and not allow this kind of behavior to occur,” Haywood said.
Haywood said he plans to take a political approach in Harrisburg, exploring possible reform outcomes through the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
“I am looking at legislation that will change the authority of PIAA. Because if for some reason PIAA is incapable of protecting high school students from racial epithets … then we need to find another organization to do the work,” Haywood said.
MediaNews Group reached out to Scriven about the matter, but he could not be reached for comment.