Red Sox Fan Banned From Fenway Park For Using Racial Slur; Boston PD Will Now Investigate
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Red Sox have turned an alleged racial slur incident Tuesday over to the Boston Police for investigation.
The statement was allegedly made by a fan before Tuesday night's Red Sox-Orioles game.
He has been banned from Fenway Park. The incident happened a day after Orioles outfielder Adam Jones says he was targeted by racist taunts.
Calvin Hennick, a white man, was at Tuesday's game with his interracial son and black father-in-law when the man next to him made a comment about a Kenyan woman's rendition of the national anthem.
"The white fan right next to me, the middle-aged man leaned over and said 'she sang too long and she n-worded it up,'" Hennick told WBZ-TV.
Hennick says he was shocked when he heard the comment and asked the man to repeat himself, which he did.
"It was the day after the Jones incident and he was sort of proving, 'I can say whatever I want to say, to whoever I want to say it to,'" Hennick said. "I think it was pointed at us."
Hennick reported it to an usher and they were moved to better seats.
"The offending individual was promptly ejected from the ballpark, and has since been notified they are no longer welcome at Fenway Park," the Red Sox said in a statement Wednesday night.
"The Red Sox organization will not tolerate the use of racial slurs at Fenway Park, and we have apologized to those affected."
Hennick says he is happy with how the Red Sox handled the situation.
"I think it's important when people say this sort of thing that they're put back in their place, that people tell them that this is not acceptable, people stand up and say no we're not going to tolerate this," Hennick said.
On Monday night, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones said he was taunted by racial slurs and had a bag of peanuts thrown at him. The Red Sox apologized to Jones, saying they were "sickened" by the conduct.
The fans who made the comments have not been identified.
The president of the Boston unit of the NAACP says she believes that federal workplace rules could be invoked to make Fenway Park a safe place for workers and fans.
