Effective immediately, the remainder of the Haddonfield Memorial High School boys lacrosse season is cancelled, the district said in a statement issued last Friday afternoon.
Effective immediately, the remainder of the Haddonfield Memorial High School boys lacrosse season is cancelled, the district said in a statement issued last Friday afternoon.
Last Thursday, “The Philadelphia Inquirer” reported on a May 1 incident at Haddonfield Memorial High School where an HMHS lacrosse player allegedly directed a racial slur at a black Sterling High School female track athlete.
The district was informed of the complaint and began an internal investigation, during which, “some issues” were discovered that are “completely unacceptable” for the community, the district said.
In response to the incident, the district cancelled the boys lacrosse season and has reached out to the NAACP, Anti-Defamation League and other professionals. The district will conduct diversity, sensitivity and empathy training for students, staff, and coaches of the high school and additional procedures and requirements for all sports teams will be made, according to the statement.
“There is no room for hate of any kind at Haddonfield Schools and it will not be tolerated,” the statement reads. “It is not who we are and it does not represent our student body.”
As a general practice, the state Attorney General’s Office neither confirms nor denies investigations, but confirms it has received this particular referral from NJSIAA and is in the process of reviewing it, according to a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, Lee Moore.
Officials with Sterling High School could not be reached for comment.
“These unfortunate incidents have caused the district to closely examine itself and we recognize that we need to do a better job of ensuring that all are respected, and at all times,” the statement reads. “We will work hard to accomplish this task going forward.”
Please visit haddonfieldsun.com for updates on this story.
