No one who was interviewed for Enosburg Falls High School’s investigation of a Sept. 18 boys soccer game at Winooski High School said they heard or saw racist abuse during the match, Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Lynn Cota said Monday.
But the superintendent, whose district includes Enosburg Falls High, said in a statement she considers the investigation to be incomplete because the school’s officials could not interview Winooski High’s student-athletes — only their own.
“The investigators interviewed all of the Enosburg High School soccer players, parents, coaches and the assigned referees who officiated at the game,” Cota said. “None of the witnesses, including the referees, were able to corroborate racist remarks or other racist behavior by Enosburg students.”
Cota’s statement comes several weeks after Winooski School District Superintendent Sean McMannon said Winooski boys soccer players of color “were called the N-word, monkey, and terrorist” during the Sept. 18 game. A Winooski High student who watched the game also told VTDigger that she heard racist comments during the match.
Enosburg Falls High Principal Joseph Donarum sent Cota a report on the investigation, the superintendent said, and VTDigger has requested a copy of the report.
The Winooski student-athletes declined to meet either in person or on Zoom with Enosburg Falls investigators, Cota said, noting Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union officials understand how the process could make those students uncomfortable.
The Vermont Principals’ Association, which governs school sports in the state, should now assign “a neutral third-party expert” to complete the investigation, she said.
“This result underscores the difficulty that exists when students from two districts are involved in an incident,” Cota said. “There is no mechanism for a single district to conduct a complete investigation with interviews of both sides.”
A committee within the principals’ association is currently developing a more formal process for addressing reports of student-athletes getting harassed, including with targeted hate speech during games, VTDigger has reported.
Jay Nichols, the association’s executive director, said on Monday his organization is just beginning to review the results of Enosburg Falls High’s investigation.
The association could go back to the school if it has questions about their investigation, he said. Both schools would need to agree for a third-party expert to be hired.
“We’re looking at it as an opportunity,” Nichols said of discussions about the Sept. 18 game. “How can we continue to try to find ways to improve for all school districts in the state, to make sure that all kids are safe and in a safe and inclusive environment?”
Cota said the Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union has “been engaging in anti-racism and anti-bias education as a district,” and officials know there’s more work to be done.
“It will be an intensive and ongoing process to raise awareness and make change,” she said. “We also welcome the opportunity to come together with Winooski and repair harms that exist between the two school communities.”
The Winooski School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
