This Isn't Compton': Arcadia High Basketball Coaches Accused of Racial Bias
"Cut your fucking hair!" the head coach screamed.
Coach Stephen Danford was yelling at a black student during basketball practice last season at Arcadia High School, according to a new report from the school district. Danford, who had been the head coach for at least six years at the school, which is located in an affluent area of east Phoenix, never told white kids to cut their hair. Or, if he did, he asked them privately, said the report, which summed up an investigation into allegations of discrimination and racism by two boys' basketball coaches at the school.
The probe that produced the report began started in February after Brian Ali, a parent and assistant coach, brought his concerns to the Scottsdale Unified School District. He reported to officials that he'd witnessed years of racist comments and differential treatment on the basis of race.
Yet that two-page report, shared with parents on May 24, appeared to clear the two coaches of deliberate racism, saying the investigation found "no 'direct evidence' of bias, such as racial slurs." Instead, it noted blandly, "It is evident that there was at least a perception of disparate treatment and reports of a hostile environment based on race experienced by African American student players."
The document was titled "Report/Conclusions," but the district was still interviewing students last Thursday, according to Ali, who also was interviewed as part of the investigation.
Read more: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arcadia-basketball-coaches-investigated-for-racial-discrimination-11306921
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