Palmer Ridge football coach says team will not forfeit its upcoming game against Lutheran High School
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Palmer Ridge High School's football coach says the team will not forfeit its upcoming game against Lutheran High School.
The announcement, which came from the football program's head coach Zach Carlton, says the program "unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and any behavior that undermines the dignity and respect every individual deserves."
Carlton went on to say the decision shouldn't be interpreted as an acceptance, but a chance to show the values of the Palmer Ridge team. Carlton says he understands not everyone would agree with the decision, but the program's priority remains the well-being of the players.
The game is scheduled for October 30.
Read Coach Carlton's full statement at the end of this article.
The announcement comes just a day after Coronado High School became the second school to forfeit a game against Lutheran.
RELATED COVERAGE: Coronado High School forfeits football game against Lutheran High School amidst racism allegations
Air Academy forfeited its homecoming game last week amidst the racism allegations.
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 allegations of racism by members of the Lutheran High School community against two Colorado Springs schools.
RELATED COVERAGE: Sand Creek High School students allege racism from Lutheran High School students
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.
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.
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
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
Coach Carlton's full statement:
"I want to take a moment to address the recent situation involving Lutheran High School and the decisions by several schools to forfeit their upcoming football games.
First and foremost, our football program unequivocally condemns racism, discrimination, and any behavior that undermines the dignity and respect every individual deserves. These actions have no place in our schools, our communities, or the game of football. We believe every student-athlete deserves to compete in an environment where they feel respected, valued, and safe.
We understand the seriousness of this situation and respect that other schools and programs have made decisions they believe are best for their student-athletes and communities.
After careful consideration, our program does not plan to forfeit our upcoming game against Lutheran High School. We intend to compete as scheduled in two weeks.
Our decision to play should not be interpreted as an acceptance or endorsement of racism or the behavior that has brought attention to this situation. Rather, we believe this is an opportunity to demonstrate the values we work to instill in our young men every day.
At Palmer Ridge, we emphasize toughness, hard work, and competitiveness. Equally important are character, accountability, respect, and doing what is right. These values extend far beyond the football field and are especially important when faced with difficult circumstances.
We believe our players can represent our school and community with class, integrity, and sportsmanship while standing firmly against racism and discrimination.
We will continue to reinforce these expectations with our team as we prepare for the game.
Our responsibility as coaches goes beyond wins and losses. We are committed to developing young men who understand the importance of treating others with dignity, standing up for what is right, and representing something bigger than themselves.
We recognize that families may have different perspectives on this situation, and we respect those perspectives. Our priority remains the well-being of our student-athletes and ensuring that we represent Palmer Ridge in a manner that makes our school and community proud.
Thank you for your continued support of our players, coaches, and program."
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