New data revealed that more Virginia high school athletes were sidelined for racial slurs and hate speech last school year than in any year over the past decade.
According to Axios Richmond, which cited the latest stats from the Virginia High School League, student-athlete ejections related to hate speech continued to rise since the 2017-18 year.
The data showed that a record 51 students were ejected from varsity competitions in the 2024-25 year. That up from 32 the previous year and represents 10% of all ejections.
Most of the ejections due to the use of racial slurs and hate speech involved football players.
While the most recent numbers were broken down by the specific type of hate speech used, fall 2022 data found that of 40 violations recorded, 37 were due the use of the N-word.
VHSL executive director Ty Gafford told Axios that sportsmanship remains a "key area of focus."
"VHSL activities are an extension of the classroom, and teaching sportsmanship is an essential part of the educational process," Gafford said.
