MUSKEGO, Wis. — Chants for justice rang throughout Bay Lane Elementary School after the Muskego-Norway School Board ended their meeting Monday night, giving those in attendance no chance to speak about the racist behavior the Beloit High School basketball team experienced at Muskego High School. It was their final game of the season.
"It's actually exactly what we expected to happen unfortunately," said Laura Bielefeldt, president of the Burlington Coalition for Dismantling Racism. "Their silence is the problem."
Before the school board meeting began, parents, community activists, and residents from both high schools gathered outside to protest the racist behaviors they said were displayed at the March 3 game.
From players finding the n-word and swastikas written in the visiting team's locker room to seeing Muskego students wearing black face masks and being called racial slurs, the community was outraged.
"He was like, 'mom, they were calling me the n-word. When I was shooting my free throw they were calling me the n-word,'" said Tanya Karl, a parent of one of the Beloit basketball players.
The Muskego-Norway School District has since launched an investigation into the incident and posted an update Sunday that said they are reviewing video from the event and interviewing those with first-hand information about the incidents in question. There's no word on when the investigation will be complete.
MNS Updates Regarding March 3rd Event @ MHS
March 12, 2023
This is an update on the investigation into the incidents that occurred during the March 3 Muskego High School basketball game versus Beloit Memorial. At that event, there were reports of offensive images traced in the dust on top of gym lockers and concerns related to the theme of our student section.
We want our community to know that we take this situation very seriously and continue to thoroughly investigate. We are taking a comprehensive approach, working with Beloit administrators, partnering with the Muskego Police Department, reviewing video from the event, and interviewing those with first-hand information about the incidents in question. We do not yet know when this investigation will be complete.
As we shared earlier, the behavior on March 3 does not reflect the values of our Muskego-Norway school community. We are committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for our students, families, staff, and guests. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.
We appreciate those who have expressed their concerns. Thank you for your patience as we continue to address this important matter.
—Muskego School District
"We need to not put band-aids on the problem, we need to get to the root of this and change the conditions," said Muskego resident of nearly 50 years, Karen Hartwell.
But protestors say they won't stop fighting until the school board puts the issue on their agenda and has an open conversation with the community.
"We will continue to show support, we will continue to fill these rooms," said Bielefeldt.
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