Coronado High School forfeits football game against Lutheran High School amidst racism allegations
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - District 11 says Coronado High School says it is forfeiting its upcoming game against Lutheran High School, now the second team to do so in two weeks.
District 11, of which Coronado High School is a part, announced the decision on Monday ahead Thursday's previously scheduled game, saying in part the district's "athletic programs should reflect respect, dignity and a commitment to equal and fair play."
The announcement comes after Air Academy High School forfeited its homecoming game against Lutheran, citing racism allegations brought by two other Colorado Springs schools.
D11 emphasized that the allegations against Lutheran remain allegations, and D11 is "not making a determination about them." D11 says it asked both Lutheran and CHSAA for a statement denouncing racism and received no response from either organization.
In a statement to KRDO13 Monday night, Lutheran High School Executive Director Dan Gehrke condemned racism and said the school was disappointed by Coronado’s decision.
"Lutheran High School condemns racism in any form. Racist language or behavior directed at any person violates our values and will not be tolerated," Gehrke said.
Gehrke said Lutheran leaders met with Coronado on Friday and submitted a collaborative plan Saturday morning. He said Lutheran learned of the forfeit without prior notice and remains willing to continue discussions.
He also said the school’s investigation into allegations of student misconduct at recent football games is ongoing and that Lutheran will take any disciplinary action warranted by its findings.
KRDO13 reached out to CHSAA before the D11 announcement of the forfeit and they said, in part, "As of this moment, CHSAA has not received notification from Coronado High School or District 11 regarding Thursday's game. Our most recent conversation with Coronado did not indicate an intent to forfeit, and we learned of the district's decision through its statement to the media."
CHSAA went on to say it had multiple conversations with D11 and Coronado, including a video meeting. CHSAA says they sent two statements to the administrations and did not receive any more communication besides a "thank you" from D11.
CHSAA went on to say they hold themselves and their members accountable for creating a racism- and discrimination-free environment.
State House Representative, Dr. Regina English, applauded the decisions by both Air Academy and Coronado not to play Lutheran following the racism allegations against Lutheran. "I'm so proud of our students for actually taking a stand, and I believe they're here now because enough is enough," Rep. English said. "Like, how much longer do we have to tolerate this? And now it's to the point to where it has become intolerable. And that's why our students have taken a stand."
Read the full statements from D11, Lutheran High School, and CHSAA at the end of this article.
RELATED COVERAGE: Sources close to Air Academy football cite Lutheran racism allegations as reason for homecoming forfeit
KRDO13 was the first to bring to light racism allegations against Lutheran High School a few weeks ago. At the time, members of Sand Creek High School say the alleged incident happened on September 24.
Sand Creek students reported feeling concerned for their personal safety after experiencing what they say was racial harassment throughout the event. A parent of a Sand Creek student, says that she reported the behavior to a Lutheran High School representative while the game was in progress, but no official action has been taken.
RELATED COVERAGE: Sand Creek High School students allege racism from Lutheran High School students
Rampart High School then played at Lutheran on Friday, October 2, and after the game, members of the Rampart community reached out to KRDO13 with new allegations of racism from members of the Lutheran High School community.
A parent tells KRDO13 that she and her daughter were a target of the alleged racism.
"Get out of here (racial slur)," she says they were told. They said they feared for their safety.
The next day, the Rampart JV team hosted Lutheran at District 20 Stadium. Multiple parents allege that a player on the Lutheran football team yelled a racist insult at the Rampart team manager. According to those parents, that insult was also heard by a Rampart player.
Those parents say they brought the issue to the Lutheran coaching staff. Academy School District 20 says it has contacted the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) about the issue.
RELATED COVERAGE: Second school in Colorado Springs alleges racism by members of Lutheran High School community
KRDO13 went to Lutheran High School on Friday to try to speak with officials there, but were turned away by security. KRDO13 once again tried to reach Lutheran Executive Director Dan Gehrke by phone, but only got his voicemail.
RELATED COVERAGE: Lutheran High School pressed for further response on racism allegations at recent football games
CHSAA, the governing body for high school sports in Colorado, has released a statement regarding the allegations, saying they had received first-hand accounts and were investigating whether or not the conduct broke bylaws.
RELATED COVERAGE: CHSAA issues new statement clarifying role in Lutheran racism allegations, ongoing investigation
Several other officials, including a Colorado House representative, have expressed concern over the allegations and asked for more information about the investigation.
RELATED COVERAGE: More officials speak out after Lutheran High School racism allegations
District 11's full statement:
"After several weeks of careful consideration and consultation with our community, School District 11 has decided that Coronado High School will not play its scheduled football game against Lutheran High School on Thursday evening.
Our athletic programs should reflect respect, dignity, and a commitment to equal and fair play. Allegations of racism have been raised in connection with Lutheran’s football program. Those remain allegations, and D11 is not making a determination about them.
D11 asked both Lutheran High School and CHSAA for a strong, unequivocal statement denouncing racism. Neither organization has provided the district with the statement requested. In the absence of the requested statements, we do not believe proceeding with Thursday’s game is consistent with those expectations."
CHSAA's full statement:
"As of this moment, CHSAA has not received notification from Coronado High School or District 11 regarding Thursday's game. Our most recent conversation with Coronado did not indicate an intent to forfeit, and we learned of the district's decision through its statement to the media.
Over the past week, CHSAA staff has had multiple direct conversations with Coronado and District 11 administrators, including a video meeting last Friday with both school and district personnel. Following that meeting, CHSAA shared two statements directly with Coronado and District 11 administration before they were sent to our full membership. The only response we received was a thank-you, with appreciation "for working with us through this situation." At no point did the district reach back out regarding those statements. There were no other attempts at communication, and the district did not ask the CHSAA office for anything further.
Building more inclusive and positive environments at our events depends on direct, professional and ongoing work between CHSAA and our member schools. Exchanging messages through the media does not move that work forward, and it is not how we have communicated or intend to communicate with our member schools. As always, our door remains open to District 11.
Let there be no question about where CHSAA stands, and will continue to stand. As our core values state, and as we have consistently stated, we hold ourselves and our membership accountable for creating an environment free from racism and discrimination. CHSAA denounces racism and discrimination in all forms. They have no place in the world, and especially not in our schools, at our events, or in education-based activities. That position does not depend on the outcome of any review.
This work is about more than any single incident, and more than any single statement. It requires ongoing partnership with every member school, including those in District 11, so that every student, coach and fan is safe and respected at every event."
Lutheran High School's full statement:
"Lutheran High School condemns racism in any form. Racist language or behavior directed at any person violates our values and will not be tolerated.
We are aware that Coronado High School has chosen to forfeit its upcoming game against Lutheran. We are disappointed. School leaders met with Coronado on Friday, and on Saturday morning submitted a collaborative plan for moving forward. We learned of the forfeit without prior notice, yet remain ready to continue the conversation.
Our investigation into allegations of student misconduct at recent football games is ongoing, and we will take any disciplinary action warranted by the findings. We continue to reach out to leaders at other schools to listen, address concerns and work toward a shared path forward.
We are committed to treating all people with dignity and kindness and will share updates as we are able."
Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.
