New York Parents Demand Rival District Schools Be Left Off Sports Schedules Over Alleged Racial Incidents

Parents in Long Island, New York, are calling for an end to sports matchups between Elmont High School and the Bellmore-Merrick School District, citing a "long history of racist behavior" from the rival district. The grievances were aired during a town hall attended by Nassau County's Section VIII sports officials, alongside representatives from both districts. Tensions have clearly reached a boiling point, with parents saying enough is enough.

Lynette Battle, former president of Elmont’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), didn't mince words, calling the recurring issues the "definition of insanity." She urged for bold action, stating, "Something different has to be done, and someone needs to be courageous enough to stand on business." Honestly, you can feel the frustration radiating off her words.

The latest flashpoint? A girls' varsity basketball game on February 7 between Elmont and Kennedy High School, part of the Bellmore-Merrick district. An on-court altercation led to the ejection of only the Elmont player—who happens to be Black—after she swung at a White Kennedy player. But video evidence later revealed that the Kennedy player hit her first. After a second appeal, the Elmont player’s suspension was overturned, though the entire incident left parents furious. Bellmore-Merrick did suspend their player, but for Elmont parents, it seems like too little, too late.

And this isn’t an isolated case. Parents brought up years of alleged racial incidents, including one from 2023 where spectators at a junior varsity volleyball game reportedly taunted Elmont players with monkey slurs while holding bananas. A similar incident occurred in 2021 during a basketball game, with fans again allegedly using racist slurs and props. While the Bellmore-Merrick administration disciplined the offenders and apologized, the hurt clearly lingers.

Battle also recounted a 2019 incident where Elmont cheerleaders reportedly hurled racial slurs and mocked Black players with an afro wig—a claim that highlights how deeply entrenched these tensions are. Other incidents in 2022 and 2023, she said, were left unreported to sports authorities, further fueling the sense of injustice.

Section VIII has attempted to address the issues by organizing workshops and requiring civility statements before games. But Battle isn't convinced, questioning why victims need to participate in "kumbaya moments" when they've already been harmed.

Jon Johnson, a parent and representative of Elmont’s Dad’s Club, also shared a personal story. His son, during a lacrosse game against a Bellmore-Merrick school, was reportedly called the n-word and told to "get off the field" after his team scored. It's the kind of story that makes you wonder how these situations are still happening in 2025.

Section VIII's director, Patrick Pizzarelli, insisted that progress has been made through town halls and other measures. But parents remain skeptical, with Johnson comparing these efforts to "putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound." A painfully apt metaphor, don’t you think?

With the call to remove Bellmore-Merrick schools from athletic schedules, it’s clear Elmont parents are demanding not just Band-Aids but full-scale surgery on what they see as a broken system.