Photo Courtesy of KWCH12
According to Newsweek, Pete Flood, a Kansas high school baseball coach, was fired Monday morning (May 10) after using a racial slur while telling his baseball team’s only Black athlete, Nyle Banks, to turn off his music.
According to the Olathe school district, Pete Flood, coach and teacher at Olathe North High School in Kansas, was placed on administrative leave Friday. Flood’s suspension came after the student’s father, Tony Banks, posted on Facebook about what the former coach said to his son after his son played rap music through speakers before their game against Olathe South High School.
He said when Flood heard the music, “He looked Nyle directly in his eyes and said, ‘We don’t play that N***** music over here. We only play country and rock music.'”
His post called Flood “racist” and encouraged family, friends, coaches and concerned community members to call the school to request Flood’s removal.
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On Friday, the school district addressed the incident in a statement and recommended Flood’s “immediate termination” to the school board.
“Racist and derogatory statements will never be tolerated. This is not who we are in Olathe,” the statement read.
During Monday’s deliberation, board president Joe Beveridge addressed Banks and his wife after apologizing for Flood’s racist remarks before the board voted to fire Flood.
“Thank you for your bravery and coming forward to bring this coach’s abhorrent behavior to our attention so we can act swiftly to prevent this from happening ever again,” he said. “I would also like to offer an apology to all the students and staff members who were present and had to experience this situation,” Beveridge added during the live-streamed board meeting. He declared that “anyone who demonstrates racism and bigotry like this has no place in our district.”
On Monday, Banks took to Facebook, where he initially drew attention to the racist remarks.
“This coach has been officially FIRED,” Banks wrote. “FB [Facebook] posting and your responses made the difference,” Banks said, thanking his online community who reacted to his post. “You, each one of you, blocked the school and district from sweeping my situation under the rug.”
Another instance of Facebook shedding light on racists everywhere.