Molalla acts on racial slurs

Molalla High School has banned a young man from school athletic events after he was identified as having yelled racial slurs directed at a black Sisters player during a September 16 soccer game.

Coach Mark Keel and his players left the field with a few minutes remaining on the clock, feeling that the atmosphere was threatening.

Some witnesses indicated that more than one adult spectator was involved.

However, an investigation by Molalla Principal Roy Reynolds found that only the one young man was responsible for shouting the remarks.

"It was one individual and that individual has been dealt with," said Dr. Alice Ericksen, Superintendent of the Molalla River School District. "When one is standing with a group it is easy to assume that the group was involved. He won't be attending any more soccer games at our school.

"It is unfortunate that one individual can give a community a bad name," Ericksen said.

Witnesses acknowledged that there was no indication that anyone involved in the incident was a Molalla parent.

Sisters High School officials say that they are satisfied that Molalla took appropriate action. School officials also said they supported Keel's decision to leave the field and forfeit the game.

Superintendent Steve Swisher said he had encountered racially charged incidents when he was a football coach in the Southern Oregon conference. His team had a black player, who was sometimes subjected to racial slurs.

"After reviewing the situation, I 100 percent support what the coach (Keel) did," Swisher said. "As a young coach 25 years ago, I only wish I had the courage to do what Mark Keel did."

The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) is continuing to review the incident, as it does all incidents where a team leaves the field in the middle of a contest. While such action is subject to a reprimand from OSAA, there is no indication at this time that such action is forthcoming.