Police and school administrators in Franklin, Massachusetts, are investigating antisemitic, racist and homophobic slurs that were made during a Franklin High School baseball game on Thursday evening, local media reported.
In a baseball game where Franklin High School was hosting Sharon High School, some Franklin fans were shouting insults directly at Sharon High players in the outfield.
"Our baseball players reported to their coach after the game that Franklin High spectators were out at the left-field fence heckling our outfielders during the game using antisemitic, racist and homophobic epithets, including various vulgarities," Sharon High principal Joe Scozzaro said.
Franklin Public Schools reported the incident to the Anti-Defamation League and will be following up with the ADL on a response. School administrators and counselors will be made available to students who have concerns about the incident, according to Franklin High principal Joshua Hanna.
“We denounce such behavior and are outraged,” Hanna wrote in a letter to families. “Our hearts go out to the Sharon community. There’s no place for such behavior in our schools and at school events. This behavior is highly inconsistent with our core values in the inclusive culture we are committed to creating at Franklin High School.”
“Everybody is friends… It’s sad to hear that,"Franklin senior Sameen Shaik told WBZ4-TV in Boston. "Everyone is supportive at the games, but if they take it a little too far it's kind of concerning, because everyone should be welcome in Franklin.”
“This is indicative of an increasingly evident problem of a toxic culture in many locker rooms, football field this week, baseball diamonds,” ADL New England deputy director Peggy Shukur said.