A California high school forfeited the rest of its football season after a racist prank by the team was discovered, reports CNN.
The football team at River Valley High School in Yuba City, California recorded a video where team members appear to re-enact a "slave auction," with their Black teammates being sold as slaves.
For violating the school's student-athlete code of conduct, team members involved in the video were kicked off the team for the rest of the season. Due to the suspensions, the varsity football team no longer has enough members to compete and the rest of the season has been forfeited.
Doreen Osumi, Superintendent of the Yuba City Unified School District, described the prank as "deeply offensive."
"Re-enacting a slave sale as a prank tells us that we have a great deal of work to do with our students so they can distinguish between intent and impact," wrote Osumni in a statement. "They may have thought this skit was funny but it is not; it is unacceptable and requires us to look honestly and deeply at issues of systemic racism."
Osumi believes that the incident can teach the students involved and the entire student body about the dangers of racial insensitivity.
“At this time, the District and site administration are working in earnest to identify lessons and programs to help our student body learn from this situation," she continued. "When students find humor in something that is so deeply offensive, it tells me that we have an opportunity to help them expand their mindset to be more aware, thoughtful, and considerate of others."
Additional punishment could come for the students involved as a result of the video being discovered.
