(NAME-MCE) District report backs up slurs allegations Eugene OR

[Anselmo Villanueva]

Eugene district report backs up slurs allegations
By Anne Williams
The Register-Guard
Published: Wednesday, May 2, 2007

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/05/02/a1.investigation.0502.p1.php?section=cityregion

An internal investigation by the Eugene School District's chief
security officer further bolsters claims by students and staff from
Portland's Roosevelt High School that Eugene fans - teens and adults -
used racial slurs against them after games in the Class 5A boys
basketball tournament at the University of Oregon's McArthur Court in
March.

Dan Davis' 10-page report, released Tuesday, echoes much of what was
described in a lengthier report ordered by the Oregon School
Activities Association and released last week, although Davis' focused
more narrowly on alleged misconduct by Eugene students.

Superintendent George Russell said he was disappointed, though not
surprised, by the latest findings.

"I do think that probably from my standpoint, I was hopeful that some
of this investigating would say a lot of this didn't happen, but that
didn't happen," said Russell, who released his own response to Davis'
report Tuesday.

In it, Russell concurs with Davis' conclusions and offers a series of
observations and recommendations, such as reviewing protocols for fan
management at athletic events and ensuring students receive sufficient
education on standards of conduct and diversity issues.

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Davis contacted 86 witnesses, 71 of whom agreed to interviews. They
included a dozen students from North Eugene High School, nine from
Churchill and six from Roosevelt. The students' names were redacted
from the report.

"Based on the totality of responses I find that there is sufficient
facts to support allegations of inappropriate behavior and racial
slurs," Davis wrote. "Observations from a variety of students, staff,
parents and officials attach blame to students from all three
schools."

Davis focused on five allegations that had been reported by students
and the media: that some Eugene students used the word "nigger" in
addressing Roosevelt students; that a South Eugene student asked
something akin to, "What are all these black guys doing here?" when
she spotted the Roosevelt team practicing in the South gymnasium; that
garbage and bottles were thrown at Roosevelt students on their bus;
that the Roosevelt coach was called "nigger" outside a Springfield
restaurant; and that students in a passing car yelled at the Roosevelt
principal that they would burn down her school.

Among his findings:

• Unidentified Eugene students and adult fans used the word "nigger,"
as well as profanity and comments such as "go back to where you came
from." Roosevelt students also used "a great deal of profanity" and
comments such as "cracker" and "honky."

"What is not clear is if these remarks from the respective schools
were retaliatory, and interviews could not identify who or what
originated the sequence of events," Davis wrote. One black Eugene
student (Davis does not say which school he attended) admitted using
the word "nigger" but said Roosevelt students called him the same.

Davis could not confirm a claim by a North Eugene student that he
heard a North Eugene girl call a Roosevelt girl a "nigger," but he
said the North Eugene girl admitted to using the word later at a party
while describing the earlier altercation.

Russell said there's no doubt in his mind that interaction after the
game "escalated to name calling that was both racially and sexually
offensive."

"The inappropriate name-calling may have occurred from both sides, but
my interest is in the behavior of our students and fans and what needs
to be corrected to ensure there is no next time," he wrote.

• The South Eugene student denied making the remark about the
Roosevelt team; administrators believe that she said it but may not
remember because she has attention problems and is prone to impulsive
behavior. The Roosevelt coach, Robert Key, said he was satisfied with
how the incident was handled and "didn't take it as a racial comment."

• Davis could not confirm that garbage or bottles were thrown at
Roosevelt students.

• Coach Key said a group of young white men drove by while he was
making a call outside the Outback Steakhouse in Springfield and yelled
"nigger." Neither he nor Davis believe that the men had connections to
any Eugene high school.

Russell said he found Key's claim believable, as it's something he's
experienced himself in Eugene and Springfield.

• Davis identified the students Peterson reported threatening to burn
down Roosevelt; while at least one, a black student, acknowledged
making inappropriate remarks after the game - including the word
"nigger," which he said Roosevelt students called him - he denied that
anyone talked about burning down the school.

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Davis said events that preceded the post-game taunts contributed to
the Roosevelt students' perception of a hostile environment, including
being made to wait on the bus for 30 to 45 minutes while others
entered Mac Court. When they finally did enter, they were greeted with
boos, and when team members were introduced, Eugene fans turned their
backs - something of a tradition at local high school sporting events,
Athletic Director Pat Latimer said, and one that perhaps should end.

"It's something that the Eugene kids have copied from the (UO)," said
Latimer, who assisted Davis with the investigation. "I'm not sure they
understand. What we've talked about is just the whole thing of
sportsmanship - you know, where do you draw the line of being a great
supporter of your team and just being out-and-out rude." Russell
agreed "there needs to be a conversation" about appropriate fan
conduct, and noted that a lack of "cross-cultural understanding" may
have played a role.

"A number of the black kids took it as disrespectful as related to
their race, so how do you bridge that kind of communication piece,
that misperception piece?" he said.

Russell, who attended both North Eugene's and Churchill's games
against Roosevelt, said he's optimistic about a daylong, facilitated
student retreat planned for May 9 for groups of students from all
three schools.

"I hope as the kids talk about it next week that they'll come up with
some suggestions for what is acceptable," he said.

He said the report underscores the fact that racism is a broader
community problem.

"I don't know that there's much to be gained by pointing fingers and
playing the blame game," he said. "It does point up that we still have
work to do both in the community and in our schools, and that we need
to keep along that path."

Documents:

Go to http://www.4j.lane.edu/ to download these reports:

• Dan Davis' report (10 pages; 125kb PDF)

• Superintendent's report to the 4J School Board (7 pages; 75kb PDF)