WPIAL ruling: Connellsville, Allderdice to undergo diversity, discrimination trainings

The WPIAL board will use allegations of racial and homophobic slurs between Connellsville Area and Taylor Allderdice high schools as “an opportunity to educate and heal.”
The board found that witnesses from Connellsville and Taylor Allderdice presented “credible evidence” slurs were used during a Sept. 1 boys’ soccer match, but noted that officials at both schools did not want punishments to be imposed. Instead, the schools will be required to implement anti-discrimination, diversity and sensitivity trainings for their respective boys’ soccer teams players and coaching staffs.
“(B)oth schools expressed a sincere desire to work together in eradicating the sort of unacceptable behavior their student-athletes are accused of engaging in,” the ruling stated. “The WPIAL board has thus decided to view the situation as an opportunity to educate and heal instead of punishing either school or their student-athletes.”
The ruling came Tuesday, following a hearing before the WPIAL board Monday in Green Tree, where the league’s leaders heard testimony from both schools. Connellsville officials contended Allderdice players used homophobic slurs toward one of their players, while Allderdice accused Connellsville players of using racial slurs towards a member of their team.
After the ruling was released, Connellsville Area School District Superintendent Joseph Bradley issued a statement saying the district was “grateful” the board found testimony from both schools credible.
He defended CASD student-athletes.
“CASD has been adamant throughout this process that our students were not found to have engaged in the alleged inappropriate conduct throughout the game, and are confident that everyone in the hearing was able to draw similar conclusions. Based on the statements from the PIAA-certified officials, the site management, and during testimony provided by both schools at the hearing, both schools demonstrated that nothing was witnessed, heard, nor reported during the course of the game,” Bradley said.
He said the ruling showed that the board “fully understood the pain our athletes endured in being subjected to the admitted homophobic slurs” that occurred during the game.
“In the end, we are thankful that the WPIAL and Taylor Allderdice administration were willing to accept a previously presented idea of having both teams come together and work collaboratively rather than a hearing that is left an open-ended result that allows for unfounded speculation,” Bradley said.
Officials at Allderdice did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
The hearing was scheduled after Allderdice parents posted a letter on Change.org, alleging slurs were used toward their players at the game.
In its ruling, the WPIAL board reminded its member schools, parents and guardians of their obligations to ensure that student athletes demonstrate good sportsmanship during interscholastic athletic contests, including, but not limited to, refraining from the use of such offensive language.
“Racial slurs, homophobic slurs and other such inexcusable behavior have no place in high school athletics, or society in general, and will not be tolerated by WPIAL. Such behavior is not only offensive but also undermines the values and principles that interscholastic athletics are intended to instill in student-athletes,” the ruling stated.
Bradley said CASD is committed to upholding those values and principles.
“We will continue to support our student-athletes as they evolve into active, caring, critically thinking citizens and we are hopeful the collaborative meeting will provide both teams with the tools needed to avoid such accusations moving forward,” he said. “We look forward to healing, growing, and continuing to embrace equality of all people regardless of sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, or challenge.”
In accordance with the WPIAL decision, the U.S. attorney’s office in Pittsburgh will help to facilitate training for both schools.
This was the second time in two years CASD faced a hearing before the WPIAL. Last year, players and fans were accused of making racially insensitive comments during a boys’ soccer match against Penn Hills.
In that matter, the WPIAL board found the allegations were “reasonably credible,” though they were unable to determine with certainty that any slurs were used. CASD officials were instructed to train the district’s student-athletes on racial and cultural sensitivity.