On Tuesday, Homewood-Flossmoor revealed that a second racist incident occurred between the schools over the weekend. Several H-F athletes and coaches returned to campus after a girls cross country meet on Saturday and detailed the incident.
H-F released the following statement:
“Our athletes gave written statements that described what occurred while they were in the HF box before the start of the Varsity race on Saturday. Three HF athletes shared a description of one of the LWE coaches making comments about running ‘past those monkeys’ to the LWE team in the starting box directly adjacent. The athletes then reported that some of the team began cheering and making ‘noises that were racist’ and ‘monkey gestures.’ Upon their return and receiving the written statements, we notified LWE leadership.
Yesterday evening, our leaders followed up with LWE on what had been done and it was reported that the coach in question stated she was sharing with the LWE runners that they call that event the ‘Jungle’ and the HF team must have misunderstood what was said.”
Homewood-Flossmoor says it plans to pursue legal action on this second occurrence as well as the incident at the football game on Friday.
Lincoln-Way East principal Toriano Griggs addressed a possible student walkout in an email sent to school families on Tuesday. The walkout is a reaction to an incident of racial harassment that five Lincoln-Way East students committed during the varsity high school football game on Friday at Homewood-Flossmoor.
“We are also aware of information circulating about a potential student walkout on Wednesday, September 9,” Griggs wrote in the email. “While we will not prevent students from participating in a walkout, we will manage any student walkout or protest in accordance with procedures outlined in the student handbook and with appropriate safety precautions in place. Individuals who are not Lincoln-Way East students or authorized visitors will not be permitted on campus. Our priority will continue to be maintaining a safe and orderly environment for all students and staff.”
Police removed multiple people from the Lincoln-Way East student section in the third quarter of Friday’s game between visiting Lincoln-Way East and Homewood-Flossmoor in Flossmoor.
Most fans and media were unaware of what happened, but photos and videos began appearing on social media Saturday morning. Later on Saturday, both schools addressed the incident.
According to a statement from H-F superintendent Jennifer Norrell and principal Clinton Alexander, “five Lincoln-Way East student fans made a very bad choice to engage in disrespectful and racist harassment towards H-F students seated in the bleachers.”
Alexander was at the game. The statement goes on to say that H-F is working with Lincoln-Way East and local authorities “as we consider all options to protect against this in the future, including legal options.”
Griggs addressed the incident on Tuesday in Frankfort with the Lincoln-Way East student body.
“By now, many of you have seen videos, social media posts, or news reports about the incident,” Griggs wrote in the email to families. “I have personally reviewed videos and spoken with students, families, and others who were there.
“I want to be very clear: the racial slurs, monkey noises, and racist gestures that occurred Friday night were hurtful and completely unacceptable. This behavior has no place at Lincoln-Way East or anywhere else.
“We reminded students that being a Griffin is about much more than wearing blue and white. It is about how we treat others, having the courage to speak up when something is wrong, and understanding the responsibility that comes with representing our school…Friday night was deeply disappointing. What matters now is how we respond, what we learn, and what we do moving forward. Our actions must demonstrate the values we expect from the Lincoln-Way East community.”