FLOSSMOOR, Ill. () — School officials in Chicago’s south suburbs are investigating after Homewood-Flossmoor High School administrators said they are weighing possible legal action involving several Lincoln-Way East students.
The inquiry follows a video shared widely on social media that appears to show five students harassing and taunting fans from a rival school during Friday night’s varsity football game. ABC7 blurred the students’ faces because they appear to be minors.
Parent Vicky Carter told Eyewitness News the behavior was upsetting to witness. “They were making monkey sounds, and they were flapping their arms like monkeys, and they were crawling like monkeys,” Carter said. “It was very disturbing to my children.”
Lincoln-Way East administrators said the students seen in the video are not members of the school’s football team.
In a statement, school leaders apologized to the Homewood-Flossmoor community. “We would like to sincerely apologize to the HF community for the behavior displayed by these students,” administrators wrote. “We have identified the students involved and will follow through with the district’s discipline policies and procedures to the fullest extent.”
Homewood-Flossmoor senior Danny Ruffin said he believes the students involved should be held accountable.
“Hands down, expulsion,” Ruffin said. “I don’t know if there could be a criminal charge for hate speech or something like that.”
The incident unfolded during Homewood-Flossmoor’s homecoming weekend. Members of the class of 2016 gathered Saturday for their 10-year reunion, and some alumni were also in the stands for Friday night’s game.
Homewood-Flossmoor graduate Destiny Watson said the video was especially painful given the school community’s makeup and history. “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,” 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.”
