After Sanctions, Burrillville Officials Deny “Racial Slurs or Blatantly Racist Actions" in Letter

After Sanctions, Burrillville Officials Deny “Racial Slurs or Blatantly Racist Actions" in Letter

The controversial Burrillville - Central Falls Volleyball game incident took another turn on Saturday when Burrillville school officials sent a letter to parents denying that there was any racism during the game.

In a letter from Burrillville High School officials to parents and guardians, principal Michael Whaley, and Superintendent Michael Sollitto wrote, “The BHS investigation into the incident found no evidence of racial slurs or blatantly racist actions by fans."

On Friday, the Rhode Island Principals’ Committee on Athletics (PCOA) found that during the varsity girls volleyball match between Central Falls and Burrillville High Schools, that Burrillville students were intimidating and said insensitive comments -- and created a poor environment to in keeping with high school sports.

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Burrillville was placed on probation for one full year. Burrillville students also face a number of other conditions including "Burrillville High School will partner with the Nonviolence Institute and the Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias to run assemblies and workshops on cultural competence. The Burrillville High School Diversity Council will be included in discussions around a number of activities to address cultural competence."

Read the full list of sanctions here.

Burrillville officials in their letter to parents further indicate that found that no racism had occurred as they argued vigorously and wrote, “We attended the hearing (along with Coach Farrell) and advocated strongly for our BHS students, student athletes, and athletic program.”

The incident took place on September 24, 2019, at Burrillville High School.

Some, like the RI Soccer Association, had called on all Burrillville Sports to be suspended for the entire year.

“The Rhode Island Soccer Association on behalf of our 1,300 players and their families asks that the RIIL suspend Burriville from Interscholastic sports competition for one year immediately,” the organization wrote on Facebook.

Central Falls Superintendent Stephanie Downey Toledo had emphatically claimed Burrlllville students used racist language during the game. In a letter to Rhode Island Interscholastic officials, she wrote, "The Central Falls School District requests that the League look at and address issues of poor sportsmanship, inappropriate behaviors, and racism by teams and fans to uphold the governing values of the League which include equity, fairness, and justice."

Read the rest of her letter here.