Thursday’s varsity baseball game between Class 4A Greater St. Helens League contenders Camas and Skyview was postponed because of an alleged racist incident at a junior varsity game between the schools on Wednesday.
Skyview announced the postponement late Thursday afternoon.
In a message sent to Skyview parents, principal Andy Meyer wrote that one of the school’s JV baseball players “was the target of racist comments, noises and names” at the game held at Camas.
Camas High School Athletic Director Rory Oster, in a message sent to parents Thursday, said the school is investigating claims that racist slurs were made by its athletes on the field.
“We take these reports very seriously and are currently working with Vancouver Public Schools to determine precisely what happened during the game,” Oster’s message read.
Both Thursday’s varsity and JV games between the schools were postponed. According to Meyer’s message, the incident has been reported to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.
“Creating safe and supportive learning environments is a priority for our school that extends beyond the classroom to athletics and activities,” Meyer wrote. “We expect that all members of the Skyview and VPS community will treat others with respect. That expectation extends to visitors and competitors from other districts as well. When that expectation is not met, it is important that we work to restore the supportive environment of our schools.”
This is the second time in the 2021-22 school year that allegations of racist taunts at a Camas High School sporting event have been made.
Benson High School girls basketball coach Eric Knox said his team, which is predominantly Black, experienced racial taunts from the student section when the Portland school played at Camas on Dec. 10.
An independent investigation of that claim, conducted by Educational Services District 112 and released Jan. 25, could not reach a definitive conclusion on whether a racist incident occurred. However, the report found “inappropriate comments” were likely made.
The Camas School Board issued a formal apology to Benson’s players, coaches and the Camas community.
Oster said Camas High School pledges to stand against harassment, intimidation and bullying in his message sent Thursday.
“All students deserve to feel respected and supported, including students visiting our campus,” Oster wrote. “We will work to make sure we get to the bottom of this, including assigning discipline as appropriate. Our goal is to make sure that learning happens for our students and that repair and restoration are made to those harmed.”
