Bishop Chatard leaders find no evidence of racial slur accusation levied by Metropolitan
A high school boys basketball game Friday night between Metropolitan and Bishop Chatard ended at halftime due to allegations of a racial slur.
Bishop Chatard president Bill Sahm and principal John Hasty released a statement to Bishop Chatard parents Monday night, calling the accusation “a topic of misinformation.” Metropolitan issued a statement Wednesday through the Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, which owns and operates the school, saying it is working with the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Bishop Chatard on the “ongoing investigation.”
In the final regular-season game Friday night at Chatard, the game ended abruptly at halftime when Metropolitan left before the start of the second half following an accusation of a racial slur after the end of the first half as both teams were going to their locker rooms. In Sahm’s letter to Chatard parents, he wrote:
“As a school community, we take all accusations of discrimination seriously. A thorough investigation was conducted by Bishop Chatard’s basketball coach (Kenny Roseman) and athletic director (Kyle Reh), including conversations with players, adults and a teacher who were in the athletic hallway where the alleged incident occurred. That investigation continued over the weekend and through Monday.”
Sahm went on to write that “after this due diligence was conducted, no evidence was found to substantiate the accusation. Should we discover evidence to the contrary, the situation will be addressed with appropriate discipline and formation.”
Metropolitan, in its statement though Ivan Cropper, vice president of marketing and communications and chief diversity officer for Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana, went on to say:
“Through this process we are working to ensure that all involved are heard so we can collaborate on a path forward. We believe this incident is an opportunity to open a healthy dialogue about race in sports, as well as society. This conversation can help foster a better understanding among the athletes and students involved.
“Indianapolis Metropolitan High School believes that our strength lies in the diversity among the broad range of people we educate, serve and employ. Our responsibility is to act with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we expect the same from our partners, vendors and communities.”
Chatard opened play in Class 3A Sectional 27 at Shortridge Tuesday with a 76-21 win over Herron. Metropolitan plays Traders Point Christian Friday in Class A Sectional 58 at Indiana Deaf.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bishop Chatard finds no evidence of racial slur accusation by opponent
