Mere days after his athletic director had put his name to a joint statement denouncing racially charged comments made during a benefit girls' basketball game, Scarsdale (N.Y.) Public Schools superintendent Drew Patrick says no evidence of the alleged slurs exists.
The game, played Saturday at Scarsdale High School against East Ramapo, reportedly sought to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
As reported by The Journal News in White Plains, an investigation by the Scarsdale district failed to confirm that slurs were aimed at East Rampano players.
"From our standpoint, we do not believe that there were any remarks or statements made of the kind reported," Scarsdale Superintendent Drew Patrick said in an email to The Journal News late Tuesday. "As you might imagine, each school district is responsible for conducting their own investigations into the events, so I can only speak for Scarsdale at this moment in time, though I know [East Ramapo athletic director] Mr. [Greg] Russo and the East Ramapo folks are working hard to complete theirs."
The game was stopped by East Ramapo's coach with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, according to a statement from the two districts' athletic directors.
Related: Athletic Directors: Racial Slurs Ended Charity Basketball Game Early
According to Nancy Cutler of The Journal News, East Ramapo player Emmalee Rodriguez, a 17-year-old senior, was on the court when she said she heard racist comments. "I don't know where it came from," said Rodriguez, adding she believed invectives came from the stands.
Rodriguez said that she spoke with a Scarsdale coach at the game but hadn't been interviewed by either school since.
She said she was "very surprised" that Scarsdale had announced its investigative findings while East Ramapo had not.
"They are just going to conclude something without waiting for the other side to conclude their investigation," Rodriguez asked. "They are just going to shove it under a mat and pretend it didn't happen?"
Scarsdale parent Jason Paris says he was one of only 15 people in the stands Saturday. "It was a normal game until midway through the fourth quarter when the East Ramapo coach became very upset with the refs about foul calls," Paris said. "None of us said anything derogatory toward the East Ramapo girls. We were very much caught by surprise by these claims."
Paris said he was frustrated by media coverage, which he said left the the district having to "prove a negative."
In a message sent to the Scarsdale school community, Patrick said Scarsdale athletic director Ray Pappalardi had completed his investigation into the opposing coach's report that his players were subjected to racially charged comments in the final moments of the game. "I’m happy to report that our investigation did not corroborate that there were any such comments made," Patrick wrote.
Patrick added in the statement: "While East Ramapo’s administration is still completing their side of the investigation, their Athletic Director joined Ray [Pappalardi] in issuing a joint statement [Monday] that conveyed this conclusion."
"Unfortunately, recent media reports are painting an inaccurate picture of what transpired, so I would like our community to hear an account of the event from me, and an update on where things stand," the correspondence sent Monday evening said. "Importantly, the administrators from East Ramapo have not yet completed their side of the investigation, making the news reports even more problematic."
A statement to media sent Monday by Pappalardi and East Ramapo AD Greg Russo read: "As with any concern of this sort, we are committed to partnering together to investigate the event and carry out appropriate restorative actions ... So far, this review has not identified a specific individual or group who engaged in any inappropriate conduct. Despite the absence of specific information, we view any act against the dignity of any student-athlete as unacceptable. I know that the Scarsdale and East Ramapo communities join us in denouncing all acts of hate."
Last year, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association made changes to its handbook that allow a governing Section to step in when schools fail to address discriminatory or racist incidents, Cutler reported.
"As of today, Section One has received no reports from either Scarsdale or East Ramapo indicating that their respective investigations into the events surrounding the Feb. 10, 2024, Girls Basketball contest have been completed," Section 1 executive director Todd Santabarbara said in a statement Wednesday morning. "It is our understanding that at least one of the districts is still conducting its investigation."
"Section guidelines state that in these instances, an investigation shall be conducted by both schools involved," Santabarbara continued. "It is understood that districts would need to communicate through the course of their respective investigations in order to ensure a thorough process."
