A state legislator is asking the Arizona Interscholastic Association to investigate an incident he says occurred during the boys' high school basketball playoff game between Chinle and Coolidge high schools on Friday, Feb. 20.
Rep. Myron Tsosie, D-Chinle, said in a statement released Saturday that Chinle players were "taunted, called racially abusive names and spit on" after Friday's 64-53 loss at Coolidge in the Class 3A Conference quarterfinal playoffs.
Tsosie said Chinle fans reached out to him after the game about the incident. No. 6 Chinle traveled to Coolidge High from the Navajo Nation, an area represented by Tsosie in the Arizona House of Representatives. Coolidge is ranked No. 3 in the 3A bracket.
"I have seen numerous messages from Chinle High School families and fans about the unfortunate events that happened on Friday night in Coolidge and at other high school games overseen by theArizona Interscholastic Association," he said in the statement, which included the description of what fans said happened.
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"Our students and fans should not have to endure this kind of behavior and be made to feel unsafe at what is supposed to be a fun, exciting and positive experience."
Tsosie, who also serves on the Chinle Unified School District governing board, said he is collecting videos from fans who were at the game and submitting a complaint to AIA officals.
"This was unacceptable and clearly violates AIA's harassment policy," he said in the statement.
The Arizona Republic reached out to coaches for both Chinle and Coolidge late Saturday afternoon.
Coolidge coach Dave Glasgow did not comment directly but referred the Arizona Republic to a lengthy Facebook post from a Coolidge fan that said some Chinle fans initially had been taunting the family of a Coolidge player, and things escalated from there. Chinle coach CJ Woods had not yet responded.
The statement comes the same day the Arizona Republic reported an incident involving a Native American fan at another basketball playoff game Friday night, between Central and Sandra Day O'Connor at O'Connor High School in Phoenix.
Jackie Mattingly, who is Native American and the mother of two star players for Central, John and Grant Mattingly, told the Arizona Republic on Saturday, Feb. 21, that she left Friday night's game with her sons after she was asked to relocate to another area of seating at O'Connor High. She said an O'Connor school official threatened to call police if she didn't move.
Jackie Mattingly, who is Native American, said she felt racially profiled and that a school official was creating a hostile environment, causing her to fear for her and her sons' safety. Central lost the 5A conference game playing without the Mattingly brothers.
