Long Island high school racial actions draw attention
Roosevelt schools Superintendent Deborah Wortham talks to the media about the racist behavior Roosevelt students encountered at games with neighboring schools. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
It would be sad to see the unfortunate incidents involving racial slurs against the Roosevelt School District team cast a shadow on all Nassau County high school sports [“Hearing for racial comments,” News, May 9].
I have been a track and field official for almost 40 years and have worked with athletes and coaches in every district. We have meets that host hundreds of athletes from every district, and we have never had any racially motivated incidents.
This would not happen in track and field. The coaches and school supervisors would never let it happen. The officials would never let it happen. The parents would never let it happen.
The athletes respect each other, help each other, support each other and have always displayed good sportsmanship.
Should any display of such behavior occur, a track meet would be stopped immediately and the offenders dealt with immediately.
Officials and school supervisors are there for a reason. Yes, we make sure all rules of the sport are followed, but we also make sure that there is good sportsmanship, respect and cooperation.
— Susan Polansky, Plainview
The writer is a past president of the Nassau Track & Field Officials Association.
I am appalled that none of the coaches or any other Lynbrook representatives stopped this disgraceful behavior of the Lynbrook students at the playoff basketball game against Roosevelt. Is this the face of Lynbrook students and residents: to be so boldly racist?
Those students should be severely disciplined so it sends a message to all students in the Lynbrook school district that racism will not be tolerated. Lynbrook coaches should be ashamed.
Remember Simon Wiesenthal’s warning: “For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing.”
Lynbrook coaches are supposed to set an example, but instead they did little. Silence is complicity.
— Maria Legace, Lynbrook
As a lifelong resident of Wantagh, I am disgusted by the racist comments made by Wantagh students at a high school sporting event.
Yes, the students are to blame, but equally guilty are their parents. What are they teaching their children?
I have always been proud to say I have raised three successful children, educated in the Wantagh public schools. Now, I can no longer say I am proud of my Wantagh town or the schools.
— Rosemary Flynn, Wantagh
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. Email your opinion on the issues of the day to letters@newsday.com. Submissions should be no more than 200 words. Please provide your full name, hometown, phone numbers and any relevant expertise or affiliation. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. Letters become the property of Newsday and are edited for all media. Due to volume, readers are limited to one letter in print every 45 days. Published letters reflect the ratio received on each topic.
