New bill aims to fight racism in high school sports statewide

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A brand new invoice launched by assemblywoman Dr. Akilah Weber would create a system to report and observe incidents of racism involving highschool sports activities.

AB 1327 would require the California Interscholastic Federation to create a standardized incident kind to trace racial discrimination or harassment that occurs at highschool video games or sporting occasions.

The CIF must publish them on the web site yearly and report it to the legislature each three years.

The concept for this invoice got here from no less than two native racist incidents in San Diego County. In 2021, college students at Cathedral Catholic Excessive College wore shirts that learn ‘Catholics versus Convicts’ throughout a recreation in opposition to Lincoln Excessive College. In a separate incident later that yr, tortillas have been thrown at gamers from Orange Glen Excessive College throughout a basketball recreation in opposition to Coronado Excessive.

Lincoln Excessive College’s soccer and basketball coaches say racism in direction of their student-athletes is widespread. It’s one thing they are saying they’ve to debate with gamers, as a substitute of simply specializing in the game.

“Been stepped on, being spat on, being antagonized, being known as out of their names in the course of the contests in sure areas of the town, that’s a complete different ballgame,” says head soccer coach David Dunn.

“CIF says victory with honor — that’s their motto, victory with honor. There hasn’t been no victory with honor in a few of these conditions that happen,” says head basketball coach Jeff Harper-Harris.

The coaches suppose the invoice is a good suggestion and hope it results in significant change so their student-athletes can deal with college and their sport.