L.I. High School Football Players Allege Racism, Assault By Rival Team
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Five African-American Amityville High School football players are suing a Long Island school district over alleged racism by a rival team's players and coaches.
The lawsuit alleges that members of the predominantly white Comsewogue High School football team assaulted and shouted racial slurs at the Amityville players during a game that ended in a violent brawl last November, WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs reported.
L.I. High School Football Players Suing Over Alleged Racism
"They sustained injuries, they were placed in chokeholds, they were threatened that they would be killed, and their attackers called them the N-word," attorney Bonita Zelman told 1010 WINS.
The Amityville students said the attacks occurred in full view of referees who they said did nothing to defuse the situation.
The students are now suing the Comsewogue School District for millions of dollars in damages.
Parents in Amityville are disgusted and shocked by the allegations.
"It's unfortunate," parent Letif Law told Xirinachs. "We're in 2014, the fact that this is still going on doesn't make any sense to me. We should fight it and take steps to get beyond this ignorance."
The Comsewogue School District has refused to comment on the lawsuit.
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