By Delilah Alvarado
(CORONADO, Calif.) On Tuesday, a school district voted to fire a head basketball coach after tortillas were thrown in a taunt against an opposing team from a predominantly Latino high school.
The Coronado Unified School Board voted 5-0 to remove JD Laaperi from the basketball team, according to The Associated Press.
The incident happened at a division championship game Saturday. There was some confrontation between the two coaches after Coronado beat predominantly Latin Orange Glen High School of Escondido. Witnesses at the game allege that Laaperi shouted expletives at an opposing coach.
A viral video shows two Coronado students throwing tortillas at the opposing basketball team.
Laaperi responded to the incident and said a community member brought tortillas to the game and that the whole incident was “unacceptable and racist in nature.”
“I do not condone this behavior. Coronado High School does not condone this behavior and is already taking appropriate action,” he tweeted Saturday.
Coronado police and the California Interscholastic Federation, along with both school districts are still investigating the incident.
Some parents called for accountability at the school board meeting. Others said that some were making it out to be more than what it was.
“It was not based on race or class; it was simply a great game between two teams,” said Wayne McKinney, captain of the Coronado basketball team. “I think many people are making Saturday out to be something it was not.”
No actions have been taken upon any students.