DALLAS — Administrators with Dallas Independent School District are working to address a racialized incident that allegedly happened during a recent sporting event.
According to school district staff and witnesses, the inappropriate behavior happened during a varsity basketball game between the Woodrow Wilson Wildcats and South Oak Cliff Golden Bears on Jan. 27.
“Our kids was called [the N-word] and [an offensive word for female dogs]! Excuse my terminology, but that’s what our Black cheerleaders were called by some of the white students that were at the basketball game,” said Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson.
Johnson attended last Friday’s game. In addition to the N-word and a vulgar term used to describe female dogs allegedly hurled at the South Oak Cliff cheerleaders, the trustee and other adults said they took offense to a poster a Woodrow Wilson student was holding. That poster used clown emojis to frame the word Mecca.
SOC supporters are known to call that campus "the Mecca."
“There were a lot of people on the South Oak Cliff side who were appalled and who were taken aback by what transpired,” said parent LaPia Wilson.
Johnson said he initially addressed the alleged racialized controversy with Dallas ISD administrators who were at the game. He said he also alerted the superintendent and other school board members that evening.
“My community is upset. My girls are upset. And the parents are upset,” Johnson said during a Facebook Live recording, in which he explained the details to his followers.
Dallas ISD issued a letter on Sunday. It was signed by both Woodrow Wilson High School Principal Chandra Hooper-Barnett and South Oak Cliff High School Principal Dr. Willie F. Johnson.
The letter said, “During Friday’s South Oak Cliff/Woodrow Wilson basketball game some adult and student behavior did not meet our expectations, and both campus administrations are working closely together to address those concerns.”
It went on to say, "Though the actions of a few don’t define who we are as a community, there is still work to do to ensure everyone feels safe, seen, and supported.”
During his Facebook Live, Johnson said he didn’t think the letter addressed the core concerns.
“I’m offended that the letter is not as transparent as I feel it needed to be. I’m also offended that it appears that we tried to hide this. You can’t hide this! Where Black girls are being called [N-words] and [offensive words for female dogs] by white students. You can’t hide that,” said Johnson.
A spokesperson from Dallas ISD stressed the school district has zero-tolerance for this type of alleged behavior. The incident remains under investigation. Disciplinary action could be taken.