Racist, anti-gay harassment from New Trier fans at Ryan Field is under investigation, schools say

A night of celebration for the New Trier and Evanston communities on Friday reportedly was fractured when multiple New Trier fans directed racist and anti-gay taunts at members of the Evanston Township High School band.

Evanston and New Trier high school officials announced in a joint statement on Sunday that they are aware of and investigating the alleged incidents.

“We take these reports extremely seriously and recognize the concern they have caused students, families, and our broader communities,” said the statement cosigned by Superintendents Dr. Marcus Campbell (ETHS) and Dr. Peter Tragos (New Trier).

It continues, “Standing against racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination is central to the missions of both districts. We have a responsibility to uphold these values through our actions and to teach our students to do the same. Every student deserves to be treated with respect and dignity in our classrooms, in the stands, and wherever students represent our schools.”

The schools’ statement says that in addition to the discriminatory comments, New Trier fans also used “other offensive behavior” toward ETHS band members.

The schools reportedly are committed to a “thorough review” and taking “appropriate action based on the findings.” The statement also says the investigation will “respect student privacy.”

The statement does not include more details about the reported discriminatory behavior or the fans who engaged in it. New Trier officials did not immediately return a message from The Record. Stay tuned to TheRecordNorthShore.org as this story develops.

The New Trier and Evanston high school football teams played their annual rivalry game at Northwestern’s newly built Ryan Field on Friday, Oct. 16. The highly promoted and anticipated affair garnered more than 25,000 tickets sold, according to NU officials.

The Evanston Wildkits home game was the 117th meeting between the neighboring teams in a rivalry that dates back to 1913, and the evening included a celebration of both schools’ alumni, recognition of other athletic teams’ achievements, and performances from the ETHS band, dance and cheerleading teams.

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