GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The family of a Wyoming High School basketball player spoke before the Jenison School Board Monday night after several Jenison students are accused of making racist remarks about a player during a basketball game nearly a month ago.
It all started in mid-December with a viral video, and now it has the community still asking for answers.
On Friday, Dec. 16, a spectator captured video during a basketball game between Jenison and Wyoming High Schools. In the video, Jenison students can be seen putting their hands under their armpits and heard making 'monkey sounds' as a black Wyoming player is shooting free throws.
"We're talking about racism," said the grandmother of the Wyoming student athlete as she addressed the Jenison School Board Monday evening.
It was the first board meeting since the game. The mother and grandmother of the Wyoming student were in attendance.
"I'm very, very upset that he can't go out and play a game that he loves," the grandmother said. "That should be free. You have black, you have white, you have all these races out here, and out of anywhere in the world, on the basketball court, that should be free."
After the incident, Jenison schools said they held assemblies to address racism and had conversations with all of their grade levels.
"This is sickening to me and it does not represent the Wildcat Way character traits we expect all of our students to live out," Jenison Superintendent Brandon Graham said in a statement to parents after the incident.
"More importantly, it does not represent who we are, who we aspire to be, or the behavior we expect at JPS."
Dr. Graham said the school system is holding all involved students accountable for their actions and investigated the situation. There was also support available for students upset by the situation.
A representative with Jenison schools also said that over winter break, Dr. Graham spoke to the Wyoming student's mother about the situation, expressing how sickened their entire leadership was over what happened, and apologized to her and her family.
The school also said that the night of the game, when the Jenison athletic director was made aware of the actions of the students during the game, he went to the student section and told the students to stop, which they did. Immediately following the game, he went to the locker room to apologize to the Wyoming Public Schools coach and players. Dr. Graham spoke with Wyoming's superintendent the next morning as well, and they continue to be in close contact with their leadership and those involved.
The family of the Wyoming player still wanted to address the Jenison School Board Monday night.
"This system is failing and, yes, I do want to know what's been done," said the grandmother of the Wyoming basketball player. "I'm not asking the kids' names, but I am asking what's been done, and as his family, we have a right to know that."
After she said that, the crowd at the meeting clapped in support.
Both the mother and grandmother also explained that they've been told by the community that this is not the first time something like this has happened with Jenison Schools.
"I had someone message me and say that Jenison has knowingly been using racism towards colored kids since they were in high school," said the mother of the Wyoming student, "and they graduated in 2016."
"So, here we are now in 2023, and nothing has been done," she added.
"People have reached out to me and said this is nothing new for Jenison, and shame on Jenison more for allowing it to keep happening," the grandmother said.
The Jenison school district said they have taken 'school disciplinary action' against the students in the video, but could not elaborate.
"Do your students know that this is not tolerated?", asked the boy's mother to the school board. "Do they understand that if they go to another basketball game or if they're caught bullying another kid, that they're going to immediately get kicked out of school with no if's, and's or but's about it?".
"That's how we prove that this is not going to be tolerated," she added.
"It's time to step out of your place and get uncomfortable," the grandmother said to the board. "We need you, as the board, to protect the kids."
The next regular school board meeting for Jenison Public Schools is scheduled for Feb. 13.
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