HS Basketball Coach Suspended for Displaying Palestinian Flag In Game Against Jewish School

A high school basketball coach in Aurora, CO., has been suspended indefinitely after he displayed a Palestinian flag during his school’s game against a primarily Jewish high school.

The game between Lotus School for Excellence and Denver Academy of Torah took place on Jan. 22. In a video stream of the game, footage captures the coach hanging the Palestinian flag near his team’s bench. Then, at the end of the game, the coach wrapped the flag around his shoulders and refused to shake hands during the post-game handshake with Denver Academy of Torah players and coaches.

Brandon Rattiner, with Jewish Colorado, said to 9News, “Here is someone in a position of influence, a role model for students, using this moment—simply being near Jewish students—to make a geopolitical statement. That’s not what a basketball game is about.” 

“It’s a textbook case of antisemitism,” continued Rattiner.

Lotus School for Excellence athletic director, Deion Jackson, said that he had never seen the coach hang the flag before, and principal Ermek Bakyt told 9News, “the incident did not reflect the values of the school.” 

Bakyt said, “For this to happen on our watch, we had to do something, because Lotus is not that way. We don’t act in that way.”

The coach was suspended immediately, as was the assistant coach, and Bakyt explained that the school is taking steps to ensure that incidents like this do not happen in the future. In a statement posted to social media, the school said, “We are taking this matter very seriously and have launched a thorough investigation into the incident. Pending the outcome of this investigation, High school basketball coaches have been suspended from their roles. As a public school committed to respect, inclusion, and equity, Lotus School for Excellence does not tolerate any form of antisemitism or behavior that undermines our values.”