High school football team forfeits game after video surfaces of players acting out "slave auction"
YUBA CITY – A Northern California high school football team has forfeited their next game and is under investigation after video surfaced of players acting out a slave auction.
The Yuba City Unified School District said they got a copy of the recording on Thursday. It allegedly shows members of the River Valley High School football team acting out a "slave auction," the district says.
No other description of the video was given by the district, but officials are calling it "reprehensible."
"The recording clearly demonstrates that this situation was orchestrated and organized, which underscores my concern that students spent time contemplating this terrible act without the slightest regard that this action is hateful and hurtful," said Superintendent Doreen Osumi in a statement.
Officials are now trying to find out which players participated in the auction.
The district says River Valley's game against Woodcreek High School has been forfeited. Woodcreek has already found a different team, Hiram Johnson High School, to play for the varsity game.
Below is the full statement from Superintendent Osumi about the situation:
"Yesterday, District and site administration received a copy of a recording of River Valley High School football team members acting out a reprehensible act of a slave auction. The recording clearly demonstrates that this situation was orchestrated and organized, which underscores my concern that students spent time contemplating this terrible act without the slightest regard that this action is hateful and hurtful. They may argue that it was a joke, and they intended no harm, but the fact is that this is not only harmful, it is disgraceful. At this time, we are investigating the situation to determine which players were involved and to offer our support and sincere regard for the humiliation and anger that this must be causing. This week's game against Woodcreek has been forfeited, and we will be working with our administrators and coaches to address the training that our athletic team requires in order to act with character and dignity at all times."
[Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the high school as River City High School.]
