Hays volleyball team condemns alleged racist taunts endured at Canyon

Four days after allegedly suffering verbal racial abuse during a volleyball match at Canyon High School in New Braunfels, the Hays volleyball team sent a pointed message in a statement released by the program Tuesday.

If you do not stand against racism, you stand with it.

According to multiple reports at the game Friday, Canyon students directed repeated racial slurs at Black players on the Hays volleyball team. Canyon officials asked the students to refrain from using the racial slurs, but no Canyon students were ejected from the gymnasium despite racial abuse being specifically prohibited in the Comal school district’s student code of conduct.

The statement from the Hays volleyball team faulted both the verbal racial abuse as well as the response from school officials.

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“During the varsity match, there were multiple students from the student section using hateful and racial slurs towards many of our players on our team,” read the statement. “It is unacceptable that students felt comfortable enough to degrade and berate our players with such derogatory and hateful language. We also feel that not enough was done to remedy the situation after our coaching staff brought the incident to the attention of the Canyon High School administrator on duty.”

Jennifer Price has two Black children that play on Hays’ varsity team. Megan and Madi Disu, the younger sisters of University of Texas men’s basketball player Dylan Disu, endured racial abuse from Canyon’s student section throughout the match, according to Price.

In a social media post after the match, Price stated:

“I have no words. ... Tonight our Hays volleyball girls played Canyon HS where the front row of Canyon’s student section yelled the N-word (hard R) at my daughters and a few more teammates throughout the match, SO MANY TIMES!!! When my daughter missed her serve, they shouted “Make a play Nword-hard R!” Our coaches told their Admin and all they told the boys was “watch your mouths."

"Nobody was removed from the game. The boys were not kept away from our team after the game and they were allowed to continue to heckle the girls on their way out. An SRO had to escort our team out to their bus. My girls are destroyed and I am freaking pissed. These girls deserve better!!! When does this stop?????

"I am literally begging everyone to dig deep and do better!”

Price also pointed out the irony of the abuse occurring while the Hays players all wore No. 3 in support of Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson, who endured verbal racial taunts from a fan during a match at Brigham Young University on Aug. 26.

Canyon High School, which is part of the Comal school district, has a Black student population of 3.4%, according to a demographic database maintained by U.S. News and World Report. The district released a statement Sept. 3 condemning the racist comments made by the Canyon students and promised an investigation into the abuse.

Acting Comal superintendent Mandy Epley stated that the members of the Canyon student section allegedly made "highly inappropriate and demeaning racial comments" toward members of the Hays team, and she said that "Comal ISD and Canyon High School will not tolerate this sort of behavior as it does not represent who we are as a District or as a campus. The students, staff and community at Canyon High School have worked hard to create a culture of inclusion and acceptance. Any comments that a single student, or group of students, may have made are not reflective of the overall student body at Canyon High School or Comal ISD."

In the statement, Epley apologized to the Hays High School players, coaches and community for "any inappropriate comments that may have been made" and said that the Hays community should “be assured that we will get to the bottom of this issue and that Comal ISD will not tolerate any racially intolerant behavior."

Verbal racial abuse is in direct violation of the Comal school district’s code of conduct, which states that students are forbidden to “use profanity, racial slurs, vulgar language or obscene gestures” without disciplinary action.

Hays superintendent Eric Wright credited the Hays players for maintaining their composure while enduring the racist taunts.

“We are proud of our Hays High School volleyball athletes for their brave action in confronting hate and for their maturity in handling a situation to which no student should ever be subjected,” Wright wrote in a letter to the community. “The experience left our Hawks volleyball players distraught, but they have chosen to be strong together, as a team.

“Hays CISD district athletics personnel and team leadership have formally reported the matter to Comal ISD. Additionally, the superintendent of (Comal) schools has reached out to me. They assure us they are taking this matter seriously, as are we.”

According to its statement, the Hays volleyball team says any disciplinary action should have started Friday night.

“If the students involved could not be identified at that moment, the entire student section should have been removed,” read the statement. “We do not believe the Canyon volleyball team is at fault in this situation, or that it is a reflection of their program. However, the students in the student section represent Canyon High School, and the administration did not adequately address the situation. Along with the outpouring of support, many people in and outside the community have come forward with similar experiences of racism happening at their schools and at events they were attending. We hope this encourages change and starts conversations that need to happen not only at Comal ISD, but everywhere. Last Friday was not just an instance of ‘kids being kids.’ It is an example of blatant racism, and anyone who sat by or sits by and allows it to happen is equally as responsible as the students that used the inappropriate language to begin with. If you do not stand against racism, you stand with it.”

According to Hays school district spokesman Tim Savoy, the team chose to not speak as individuals but, rather, “to let their statement stand for the entire group in solidarity.”

He also said the Hays school district “wants to give Comal ISD a chance to investigate and to rectify the matter” before the district considers any further action regarding future interaction with Canyon High School or the Comal school district.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Hays volleyball team alleges racist taunts from Canyon students