The West Ada (Idaho) School District is being sued by an Eagle High School student-athlete and her family over allegations that the girls’ basketball coach made racially inappropriate comments and gave preferential treatment for playing time based on race.
According to KTVB7, Brooke Vargas transferred to Eagle High School for her Sophomore year after starting on the varsity team as a Freshman at her previous school. A promising player, coach Jeremy Munroe allegedly promised Vargas that she would be a “priority” on the team.
The West Ada (Idaho) School District is being sued by an Eagle High School student-athlete and her family over allegations that the girls’ basketball coach made racially inappropriate comments and gave preferential treatment for playing time based on race.
According to KTVB7, Brooke Vargas transferred to Eagle High School for her Sophomore year after starting on the varsity team as a Freshman at her previous school. A promising player, coach Jeremy Munroe allegedly promised Vargas that she would be a “priority” on the team.
Vargas told KTVB7 of an incident during practice when coach Munroe told the players to “grip the basketball tight enough to see white fingertips,” then turned to her — the only Hispanic player on the team — and said “or brown fingertips,” while laughing. Vargas alleged that Munroe has denied her playing time, despite being a leading scorer when she can secure time on the court. She also called out incidents when Munroe would arrange college recruitment opportunities for other players, but exclude Vargas from those opportunities.
"I tried to call meetings with him and ask him what I am doing wrong, and he would never ever give me an explanation," Vargas said.
Vargas and her family went to the West Ada School District with their concerns over the coach’s unfair, racially-biased treatment. But an investigation “concluded that there was not enough evidence to support the Varags family’s claims of racial discrimination and harassment.”
The $1 million tort claim filed by the Vargas family seeks compensation for “lost scholarship opportunities, emotional distress and retaliation.”
In the aftermath of the investigation and subsequent lawsuit, Vargas said that she was assigned to the Junior Varsity team for next season despite already having offers to play in college. She believes this team assignment is a clear act of retaliation against her.
