Students distracted players from Des Moines North High School at a recent game against Johnston High School, using a “curtain of intimidation” with the word “rat” and a Donald Trump mask.
Johnston Students Accused of Bringing Racially Motivated Sign to Basketball Game https://t.co/gj1Pxlli1p pic.twitter.com/KLxHDqdoHO
— WHO-HD Ch. 13 News (@WHOhd) December 18, 2019
Naturally, it means they’re racist, and school officials are now apologizing to the visiting team and doling out punishments to students involved in the stunt, KCCI reports.
“It’s certainly not reflective of the community that we are trying to create here in Johnston,” Johnston Community School District spokeswoman Laura Sprague said. “It’s a reminder that we all have work to do to create a welcoming and open community here in Johnston at all of our events.”
Sprague wouldn’t discuss details about the incident, but witnesses told WHO-TV students unfurled a white sheet with the word “rat” as Des Moines North High School players warmed up. One of the students briefly donned a Donald Trump mask, and social justice sleuths concluded the stunt was a reference to controversial comments by the president about the “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” in Baltimore.
Administrators demanded students take down the banner, and they complied.
“Those offended by the student section’s actions said they believed it was done in reference to comments by the president accusing Baltimore of being infested with rats because North High School players are mostly black,” KCCI reports.
Sprague avoided the accusations of racism, but said now that officials have apologized and vowed to punish students, they plan to investigate what the sign was actually about. Students on the North team are predominantly black.
“It was an action that caused concern that was perhaps out of the norm for what we expect of students,” she told WHO-TV.
“We are working with the students, the parents and building leadership to best understand the intent of the students that they chose during the game,” Sprague told KCCI.
A student-run Twitter account critical of the administration chimed in on the controversy online, alleging school officials are jumping to conclusions and treating students like criminals.
“It actually did say rat and not rats. It was a curtain of distraction with that guy behind it. You’re speaking from a viewpoint of ignorance on this matter,” Barstool JTOWN tweeted.
“Gr8 szn from the student section Sadly the administration feels the need to disgustingly power trip,” wrote Barstool JTOWN, which has since been deleted. “In protest we will not be attending anymore games Your abuse of authority is that of a bully if you treat us like criminals we wont come @JCSD_Athletics @Laura_Kacer”
Other students online claimed the word “rat” is a nickname for a player on the Johnston team, according to media reports.
Des Moines Public Schools spokesman Phil Roeder issued a prepared statement about the rat sheet, and left it at that.
“There was a sign with an insult that appeared to be directed at North players by Johnston students at their December 6 basketball game. It was quickly taken down by someone with Johnston high school,” Roeder wrote. “Officials from Johnston reached out to North to apologize. Otherwise, this is a matter for Johnston to address with their students.”
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