African-American and Latina girls from a Wisconsin high school soccer team walked off the field Thursday after a rival team’s white fans began chanting “Donald Trump, build that wall!”
WISC-TV reports that the Beloit Memorial girls varsity soccer team left the field in protest as Elkhorn Area High School students began chanting pro-Trump slogans and racial slurs.
“They came off the field and weren’t able to finish the game because they were too upset and distraught over what happened to them,” said Beloit Memorial coach Brian Denu. “One of the girls was cradled in the arms of one of our assistant coaches for a good 15 to 20 minutes.”
Beloit Mem. girls soccer coach Brian Denu says Thu @ Elkhorn, black & Latina players were targeted w/ chants #news3 pic.twitter.com/u03o3PPkOx
— Chris Gothner (@cgothner) April 9, 2016
Elkhorn school officials said they are investigating the “inappropriate/offensive comments,” which they are rumored to have been started by one or two students from the opposing team’s bleachers.
“My guess is that they’re good kids that have some really bad ideas in their head,” Denu said. “But those were hurtful — and words that you say can last with people for a very, very, very long time.”
Denu said he hopes his players never have to experience the kind of racism they did that Thursday night.
“Seeing the impact on those kids is something I’ll never forget as a coach,” he said. “It’s 2016. You think that you know that people don’t have these views.”
Featured image via Gage Skidmore (Flickr)
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