Families pack Nyack HS basketball game to show support following alleged racist taunts at a previous game

The families who were at Nyack High School said they wanted to show their players they are “Nyack strong.”

News 12 Staff

Feb 11, 2022, 10:54 AM

Updated 1,048 days ago

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Families packed a basketball game Friday in Rockland County to support players after they were allegedly jeered with racist taunts at another game earlier this week.
The families who were at Nyack High School said they wanted to show their players they are “Nyack strong.”
It was a lot different from what Nyack players heard Wednesday at a game in Pearl River.
Sophomore Kameron Kukielczak says he was upset when he heard students on the Pearl River side making monkey noises three different times as Black players made free throws.
Head coach Ethan smith says he’s proud of his team, as is senior captain Harrison Jordan.
“We handled it with such class. We were just there to play basketball," said Jordan.
Their community celebrated that Friday night and showed up in big numbers.
Parent Mandy Aikens says her daughter’s game was even postponed so the team could be there.
She says it's all about learning and growing - what Pearl River’s superintendent is trying to do.
The superintendent says a similar situation happened at a January game in Suffern and the high school’s LGBT club has faced vandalism twice.
He says this time someone did put a stop to it and any students found responsible will be disciplined.
He wants parents to help. He also says the district is already working with several groups that encourage diversity and inclusion.
Pearl River also had another game Friday night.
There were some changes at that game, including only two spectators allowed per player because of the incident.