Roseville Investigates Claims Of Racism On H.S. Girls' Basketball Team
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Roseville Area Schools is investigating claims of bullying and racism on the high school's girls' basketball team.
In a Facebook comment Wednesday, Roseville Area Schools said it is aware of the allegations of "racism and/or bullying", is taking them very seriously, and is conducting an investigation.
The statement was posted to a post of a picture congratulating Roseville Area High School girls' basketball team for their fourth-place finish in the state tournament. It was filled with comments from individuals addressing the alleged racism, and has since been pulled.
This comes after a Facebook post by LaToya Turk, who claims her daughter experienced "one of the most racist and shamming encounters at the hands of her coaches and two teammates" that she'd ever witnessed.
She says that during the Roseville Girls Basketball Banquet, players gave out "gag" awards that were supposed to be funny, but her daughter was given a piece of a hair weave.
"The white parents, coaches and players were laughing hysterically," she wrote. "My daughter was embarrassed and we got up and left."
Turk further alleges that her daughter has dealt with other bullying -- including cyber bullying which was not addressed by coaches -- and was penalized unfairly compared to other white players.
Here's the full statement from Roseville schools:
"Roseville Area High School and Roseville Area Schools as a whole are fully committed to ensuring an equitable and safe learning environment for all students. Based upon state statute, RAHS has procedures in place to address any allegations of racism and/or bullying. An effective investigation into any allegations must honor student privacy, ensure every student and adult involved in an alleged incident has a voice, and ensure the process is thorough and accurate. We are bound by very strict privacy laws designed to protect all of our students that dictate what if anything we can report out to the public."
