An investigation is underway in the south suburbs, and Homewood-Flossmoor High School administrators say they are considering legal options against some students from Lincoln-Way East.
Video circulating on social media shows five students appearing to harass and taunt fans of a rival high school during a varsity football game Friday. ABC7 has blurred the students’ faces because they appear to be minors.
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“They were making monkey sounds, and they were flapping their arms like monkeys, and they were crawling like monkeys,” parent Vicky Carter told Eyewitness News. “It was very disturbing to my children.”
Lincoln-Way East administrators confirmed the students in the video are not members of the school’s football team.
“We would like to sincerely apologize to the HF community for the behavior displayed by these students,” administrators wrote in a statement. “We have identified the students involved and will follow through with the district’s discipline policies and procedures to the fullest extent.”
Danny Ruffin, a Homewood-Flossmoor senior, believes the students should face consequences.
“Hands down, expulsion,” he said. “I don’t know if there could be a criminal charge for hate speech or something like that.”
The incident comes as Homewood-Flossmoor marks its homecoming weekend. The class of 2016 celebrated its 10-year reunion Saturday, and some graduates attended the game Friday night.
“The population at H-F is majority Black, and so mocking them in terms we have been called for years and in our history, it’s not something that the kids (these days) should have to go through,” Homewood-Flossmoor alum Destiny Watson said.
In a statement late Saturday, the Illinois High School Association condemned the behavior. “(The) Lincoln-Way East administration has affirmed that they recognize the serious nature of this situation and are acting accordingly,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson wrote.
“We will be working with both schools to make sure an appropriate resolution is reached and to be a resource in any way that we can.”
Lincoln-Way East administrators have not said what punishment their five students could face.
Meanwhile, students, parents, and graduates across Homewood-Flossmoor say they will not be intimidated.
“There’s so much love. There’s so much community that’s happening right now that we’re not going to let a video really deter or take away from that,” Homewood-Flossmoor alum Sophia Osabuohien said.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson issued the following statement Saturday:
“The IHSA strongly condemns the racist actions that were perpetrated by a small number of Lincoln-Way East High School students in attendance at its football game against Homewood-Flossmoor High School on September 4. High school sports are defined by community and camaraderie, and every high school student-athlete in Illinois deserves to compete in a safe and respectful environment. These values are requisite to remain a member in good standing of the IHSA, and the Lincoln-Way East administration has affirmed that they recognize the serious nature of this situation and are acting accordingly. We will be working with both schools to make sure an appropriate resolution is reached and to be a resource in any way that we can.”
