MS Coast school district investigating report of students using racial slurs

The Hancock County School District confirmed it is investigating a report of students calling a Black player racial slurs during a Tuesday night baseball game against Pass Christian.

The report, which a parent posted on social media late Tuesday, said students watching the game from trucks near left field also used Emmett Till’s name to threaten the player. Till was a Black teenager who was lynched in 1955.

District officials called the report “disturbing.”

“This behavior is unacceptable and entirely contrary to the values of our school community,” Hancock County Superintendent Rhett Ladner said in a statement. “We are taking this matter very seriously.”

Leo Hawkins Jr., the parent who posted about the incident, said his son returned from the game Tuesday night and reported a group of spectators “were making racial comments” to a varsity player loud enough that the player could hear.

“They went on to say something like ‘I’ll do you like Emmett Till,’” Hawkins said.

Hawkins left the game before the alleged incident, but recalled seeing four or five trucks parked behind left field. He said his son told him the spectators also circled Pass Christian’s bus in their trucks.

Hawkins said the incident distressed his son, who is Black. “I could see in his eyes he was upset,” Hawkins said.

“He’s never experienced anything like this,” he added.

The district said it was investigating the report by reviewing footage and license plate information. School officials said they had not confirmed whether the spectators involved attend Hancock High School, which hosted the game.

Pass Christian Superintendent Carla Evers said in a statement on Wednesday that the district “is aware of reports that racial slurs were directed at one of our players during last night’s baseball game at Hancock High School.”

“We take this matter very seriously and have been in communication with the Hancock School District administration, which is actively investigating to identify those involved, including individuals who may represent multiple school districts,” Evers said.

“We are committed to ensuring that our students are accepted, valued, and safe,” she added. “The events that unfolded at last night’s game are unacceptable and directly contradicts the principles we uphold in the Pass Christian School District.”

School officials in Hancock County said any students determined to be involved in the incident would face discipline under district policies. Students who harass, intimidate or use “inappropriate language” towards others can face suspension or expulsion, according to the district’s handbook. The handbook says disciplinary action depends on “the attitude of the student and the nature and location of the offense.”

Jeremy Skinner, chief deputy at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, said the incident was not criminal. The sheriff’s office confirmed its school resource officers are helping the district investigate.

“We’ve been assured that they’re looking into it administratively,” he said.

“Let us be clear: hate speech and racism have no place in our district,” Ladner said. “We ask for the community’s patience as we move forward with this process guided by integrity, transparency, and care.”