Apparently the UHSAA has a problem in confronting racist behavior on the part of high school basketball fans and in some cases players and coaches. These games are part of an overall curriculum at so-called educational institutions, and not some open forum where the rights of individuals to speak their minds on social issues have to be protected under some twisted definition of the exercise of free speech.
There is a simple solution available to the UHSAA. First, the UHSAA needs to establish a code of responsibility that holds each school accountable for the behavior of fans, players and coaches. Overt acts of racism, threats, violence, etc., must clearly and unequivocally be labeled as universally unacceptable.
The penalties are also simple. A first offense is immediate expulsion of the perpetrator(s) from the event. Second offense leads to forfeiture of the game being played. Third offense leads to forfeiture of the season for the school/team involved. Leave it to the administration of each school to decide how to educate its fans on appropriate behavior at athletic events or suffer the consequence of not being allowed to play.
There is a list of behaviors that no school would tolerate for a split second at an athletic event. Smoking and drinking alcohol come to mind immediately. Add racist behavior to that list.
Bari Levine, Cottonwood Heights
