(TRENTON) – Union County Assembly members Annette Quijano and Jamel Holley issued the following statement today on the reported incident in which a Lenape Valley Regional High School basketball player was called the N-word and taunted with monkey noises during a game at Wallkill Valley Regional High School on February 13:
“The act of racial insensitivity reportedly shown during the Lenape/WallKill Valley basketball game is the second incident this year to occur at a New Jersey high school athletic competition. Unfortunately, these incidents are just another example of the tone of intolerance for diversity that has seems to have grown more acceptable in recent years.
“Taunting players through profane language and behavior is unacceptable at a high school game and should have been immediately addressed by administrators and sports officials. There must be further investigation to ensure our student athletes are provided a safe space to compete and achieve excellence in any sport–wherever they play.”