As much as we continue to fight against ignorance and racism, it will never truly be eradicated.
We were once again reminded how there are just some terrible people in this world after a star Black athlete in New York left his high school after an assistant athletic director told him he became fast by “running from police.”
Tony Humphreys, who has already committed to play baseball at Boston College, told PIX Channel 11 that the incident occurred after he joined Iona Prep’s track team.
“He comes up to me, and asked why was I doing track,” Humphrey said of the assistant athletic director.
“It never hurts to gain speed,” Humphrey said he responded.
“But the educator implied Humphrey was already fast enough. And he had a reason,” the station reports. “Humphrey said the assistant AD said the teen ‘gained that speed by running from the police.'”
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After the 16-year-old junior informed his mother of what was said, they decided he would transfer from Iona Prep — a private school in New Rochelle — to a public school near their home.
The school declined to identify the staff member who made those comments.
“I decided to leave, because of my current situation, as I’m already committed. I’m already going to [college],” he said. “I don’t feel like I have to stay at a program where they’re going to look at me different, or feel uncomfortable at a place I have to go to Monday through Friday.
He also revealed this was not the first time he experienced racism at Iona Prep.
“There were other instances of racism during my freshman year,” he said. “I took it up with the dean, I took it up with the higher ups, and nothing happened to the other student.”
This past Tuesday, his fellow students engaged in a walkout in support of their teammate and classmate.
The school sent out a letter to parents.
The letter reads in part, “Such comments go against the very mission of the school to develop moral and ethical leaders. It is behavior that Iona Preparatory does not condone for its students and will not accept from its faculty and staff.”
That letter also announced the unnamed staff member had resigned.
