Bellaire HS baseball coach called out for alleged racism against another team
BELLAIRE, Texas - A Bellaire High School baseball coach has been called out for reportedly witnessing racism during a game and failing to address it.
Dr. Candice Matthews the Statewide Steering Committee Chair for the Rainbow Push Coalition was joined by activist Quannel X for a press conference Friday morning about a "near racial brawl" that occurred Friday, March 25th during a game between Bellaire and Westbury High School.
The fight allegedly stemmed from when Bellaire High School students began making monkey sounds every time the Westbury High School African American player would throw a pitch. Additionally, the baseball players also yelled to Westbury student, "we got bananas!"
The umpire reportedly stopped the game and gave a warning penalty to the Bellaire High School Head Baseball coach, whom Quannel and Dr. Matthews say "failed to stop the behavior." This in turn, led to a fight among both teams and families.
Teen says Bellaire HS coach told him to change his afro in order to play baseball
A mother is angry over the fact her son was told he’d need to ditch his afro in order to play baseball in the spring. In emails exchanged with the mother, the coach – who is Hispanic – maintains that this isn’t about race, it’s about rules and policy.
Houston ISD confirmed to FOX 26 it is taking the allegations very seriously and looking into the incident. Meanwhile, we're told the coach has been reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation.
"HISD is in the process of investigating the events that occurred during and after the Bellaire at Westbury baseball game on Friday, March 25, 2022. HISD Police were present at the game and following the game to ensure an orderly departure. We take all of the allegations seriously and when the investigation is completed the school district will take appropriate action to ensure our students and staff have access to a safe environment."