Athletic Programs in Arizona Barred from Postseason Following Alleged Racial Slurs Investigation

With probation in place, the schools’ boys basketball team was removed from the state playoffs

Fans celebrate a Coolidge boys basketball player reaching 1,000 career points in a game against San Tan Charter on Feb. 13. The Bears have been removed from the state playoffs after the AIA placed a one-year postseason ban on Coolidge high school athletics. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

An Arizona high school’s entire athletic program is on probation following harassment allegations that stemmed from a boys basketball game last week.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) voted on Wednesday to place a postseason ban on Coolidge High School Athletics for a year, effective immediately. 

The Arizona Republic reported that the decision comes after an investigation of a “racially charged incident” in a AIA Class 3A quarterfinal round matchup between host Coolidge and Chinle last Friday (Feb. 20). The Bears won that game, 64-53.

According to reports, Coolidge fans allegedly directed racial slurs toward Chinle players and spit on them as well. The Chinle Unified School District is located within the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona.

AIA executive director Jim Dean stated that the Feb. 20 game feed on YouTube was reviewed.

“We will not tolerate any type of racial or discriminatory behavior,” Dean said via The Arizona Republic earlier in the week. “There is no place in this world for the allegations that were made, if they're true.”

State rep. Myron Tsosie called for the AIA to investigate the alleged incidents, which they did on Monday (Feb. 23) after multiple community members shared videos from the game.

“Our students and fans should not have to endure this kind of behavior and be made to feel unsafe at what is supposed to be a fun, exciting and positive experience,” Tsosie said in a statement released Saturday.

Coolidge superintendent Dawn Dee Hodge stated in a letter on Wednesday that school district representatives attended a meeting with the AIA executive board to discuss the allegations.

“Prior to the meeting, we were asked to provide a written account of the event, supporting documentation and a corrective action plan addressing AIA Article 2.4.2.3 - Conduct of Participants,” Hodge said. “We submitted video footage, written statements and an action plan outlining the steps we have implemented to strengthen supervision and reinforce sportsmanship expectations.

“During the meeting, we were asked to present our account of how the game unfolded and how we responded to spectator behavior. The AIA Executive Board reviewed video footage and highlighted specific instances involving Coolidge spectators, including alleged harassment of a Chinle spectator, students entering the court following the game, inappropriate use of belts by student spectators and the allegation that an adult spectator spit on a Chinle player.”

Hodge noted that school officials “respectfully disagreed” that the game was “out of control as characterized by the AIA,” adding that most of the instances occurred within the final 10 seconds of play.

“Additionally, the board referenced statements indicating that officials complained of Coolidge fans using derogatory and racist language and were advised to remain in the locker room for an extended period due to postgame volatility and that Chinle players and coaches were instructed to exit in pairs due to safety concerns,” Hodge added. “We, again, respectfully disagree with those characterizations and provided clarification during the meeting.”

AIA’s decision means that the Bears will no longer compete against Snowflake in the Class 3A semifinals on Friday (Feb. 27). Instead, Snowflake automatically moves onto the 3A championship game at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday (Feb. 28) and will face either Palo Verde or Seton Catholic from the other semifinal contest.

“We recognize the seriousness of this outcome and the significant impact it has on our student-athletes,” Hodge said. “Immediately, we are asking for another meeting with the AIA Executive Board to discuss the information submitted. With the support of the Coolidge Unified School District Governing Board, we are currently consulting with legal counsel regarding next steps including the filing of an injunction and pursuing a formal appeal through the AIA process. We are also seeking guidance from community and state leaders, such as State Senator T.J. Shope and Gov. Stephen R. Lewis, as we navigate this matter.

“While time is critical, our focus remains on advocating for our students and ensuring that due process is followed. We believe the ruling is disproportionate to the circumstances and carries substantial consequences for student-athletes who were not involved in the incidents in question.

We will continue to keep our community informed as this process unfolds.”

Shope, a Coolidge native, responded by sending a letter to Dean late Wednesday evening:

It has come to my attention via numerous reports in both traditional media and social media that my hometown, my constituents and my alma mater, are being villainized in a relentless torrent of negativity and half-truths, at best. In the leadup, during, and after a recent playoff basketball game featuring Chinle High School and Coolidge High School, there were incidents between fans of the two schools that have now been inflamed by people who have an agenda, and even a legislative colleague who should know better, and who wasn't even at the game in question.

I have lived in Coolidge my entire life, my father was the mayor of Coolidge for 16 years, is a current councilman and was the Voice of the Coolidge Bears on radio/TV/and Public Address for nearly 50 years. We operated a grocery business for three generations over the course of 75 years in this community that we love. Growing up in Coolidge meant growing up in one of Arizona's most diverse communities and I wouldn't trade the opportunity to grow up there and now represent the community first as a school board member in CUSD for a dozen years and as their State Representative and now as their State Senator for over 14 years. I have stood by and witnessed my community, and my home, be portrayed in a way that has zero basis in reality.

Full disclosure, I was not at the game in question, but I have spoken to several community leaders who were, including my constituents from the Gila River Indian Community, who paint a very different picture than the one portrayed in the media. I urge you to speak to members of my community like I have over the last several days who were at the game and have been victims of a relentless avalanche of selectively edited social media videos provided to an ever-eager media to portray my community into something that it's not. I urge you to do your homework the same way I have to daily here at the legislature before I make decisions that will impact people's lives and, in this case, the lives of young men in my community.

Andy Nez, a Navajo Nation council delegate who represents the Chinle area, said via The Gila Herald that he launched his own investigation and watched a video of an unidentified individual spitting on a Chinle player.

“Just by the body language, you could clearly see that there was a moment where one of our student-athletes was spat on,” Nez said. “It’s unfortunate that we hear these types of circumstances that put our students and fans in jeopardy. We’re still in the 21st century, and we’re still in the Southwest, where there’s predominantly a lot of Native population, and it’s ridiculous to think about what our students have to experience and endure because of their identity.”

AIA stated that the investigation remains open and ongoing.

The Bears capped their boys basketball season with a 25-7 record.

Sign Up for High School On SI’s Free Daily Newsletters

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App