Charles City School District considers leaving conference; won’t play Waverly-Shell Rock next year after racism incident

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City School District isn’t satisfied with the response of another school that was involved in racist taunts yelled at a Comet ballplayer at a game earlier this summer, and is asking that it not have to play games against that other school this coming academic year.

The district also said it is looking into options including withdrawing from the Northeast Iowa Conference and pursuing “alternative conference opportunities.”

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the Charles City School District said the result of the other school’s investigation into the incident “lacked the clarity we need and desire.”

“We are eager to see a clear action plan on the part of the involved school district to accept responsibility and ensure students can be kept safe from bigoted and inappropriate behaviors,” the Charles City statement said.

The Charles City School District has not publicly identified the other school, but it has been widely acknowledged that the incident happened at an away baseball game played against fellow conference member Waverly-Shell Rock.

In a statement released Wednesday morning on its Facebook page, Waverly-Shell-Rock said it is had “completed an extensive investigation into reports that, at a baseball game on June 27, 2020 against the Charles City Community School District, racially motivated comments were directed toward a player for Charles City.”

W-SR did not identify who yelled the comments, but did say “all individuals involved are students” as the reason it could not release “specific findings and actions relating to this matter.”

The W-SR statement said, “Heckling and taunting of any kind is not tolerated behavior for any spectators at our games, especially where this behavior is directed at a person or group based on race, color, or any other personal characteristic.”

W-SR concluded that the district “is taking appropriate measures in response to this incident.”

Charles City, in its statement that the W-SR statement “lacked … clarity,” listed a number of efforts that the Charles City district has decided on since the incident occurred:

• Evaluating whether Charles City should remain in the Northeast Iowa Conference. If a task force of school leaders, students, coaches, parents and alumni “decides we are in an unhealthy partnership, we will pursue alternative conference opportunities,” it said, adding that a recommendation will be made by Sept. 1.

• Asking the superintendents of the Northeast Iowa Conference to require that the other involved school district develop “clear, measurable action steps to resolve racism and sportsmanship issues.”

“We insist that the conference hold the district accountable,” Charles City said.

• Asking for a “one-year, penalty-free moratorium for Charles City refusing to play the involved partner school during the 2020-21 academic year. Charles City leadership also made clear that “if these expectations are not met, we will pursue new conference partnerships.”

• Requesting that the Iowa High School Athletic Association schedule any postseason play between the two schools at a neutral site.

• Asking the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union to “use this situation as a catalyst for statewide change.”

“Some ideas discussed are increased education for all fans, active bystander training, postseason accountability for low sportsmanship and an increased obligation by game site administrators to address inappropriate fan behavior.”

The Charles City statement concluded by saying it would “hold our own students to a higher standard of sportsmanship going forward.”

“Anyone not living up to the expectations established by our student leaders this fall will be asked to leave the area of play and experience appropriate consequences,” it said, adding that Charles City is “leading by example, with clear action steps to address critical equity and antiracism issues.”

During the ballgame in question, a fan or fans in outfield bleachers at the Waverly ballpark yelled that Charles City center fielder Jeremiah Chapman should “get back to the fields” and said he should be like George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis, as well as other racial and political taunts.

Chapman, the only Black member of the team, has spoken about the incident with the Press, as well as with other state and national news media.

On Wednesday, after W-SR issued its statement, Chapman’s mother, Keisha Cunnings, tweeted her reaction.

“I will NEVER be okay with this situation!” she wrote. “Almost a month later NOTHING has been done nor WILL BE done to the people who was taunting Jeremiah. I am so disappointed with this entire situation.”