Lewis Mills fans used racist language toward Platt team Thursday, according to the district superintendent
Lewis Mills fans at a girls basketball game Thursday night in Burlington used disrespectful language “with profane and racial overtones” toward the Platt players, Regional School District 10 superintendent Howard Thiery wrote in a letter to parents Friday.
“The actions of our fans were unacceptable,” he wrote. “The language and actions of our fans toward the Platt players were often disrespectful with profane and racist overtones. Today I feel responsible and ashamed that this occurred in our school to a team of girls who were our guests. No one should ever be disrespected that way. I would love to say that this is not who we are as a school community, but I can’t say that until actions like last night don’t occur.”
Lewis Mills broke a fivegame losing streak, beating Platt 36-27. Platt has lost eight straight games.
It was the second incident involving racial comments toward a girls basketball team in the state in a week. Bacon Academy fans allegedly yelled racial insults at Ledyard players after a game at Ledyard High Feb. 5 and Colchester schools superintendent Jeffrey Burt apologized in a statement for the “offensive comments and negative behavior” exhibited by the Bacon parents.
Mark D. Benigni, the superintendent of the Meriden public schools, said that Thiery had reached out to apologize.
“I and the MPS students and staff truly appreciate his sincere apology,” Benigni said. “Platt High School principal Dan Corsetti shared the apology with the Platt girls basketball team before practice. We hope this can be a learning experience and individuals can be more understanding moving forward.”
Thiery said the school is still investigating the situation and what steps should be taken next.
“These steps will include discipline consequences where we can determine individual actions as well as looking hard at our management of games and events to proactively prevent this type of behavior,” he wrote. “We must do everything we can to make sure this never happens again.”