The NSAA has finished its investigation into an incident that involved a racial slur directed at the Omaha Northwest girls basketball team from a Norfolk spectator on Feb. 11.
In their findings, the NSAA decided to put the entire Norfolk school system under probation meaning if they receive another formal complaint before the end of the school year further disciplinary action will be taken.
In a unanimous vote, the Norfolk Board of Education voted to not appeal the NSAA decision and is moving forward with a number of changes to its policies in order to address the probation.
A formal apology letter from students, staff and administration was published as part of the probation:
“Please accept this apology on behalf of the Norfolk Panthers for the experience you had in our school on 2/12/2021. No person should ever be subjected to racism or derogatory comments. We are deeply sorry you had this experience as a guest in our school. We do not want these inappropriate actions to represent our school or community. It is not who we strive to be.
“We know an apology is not enough to take away your hurt, but we hope that it can be a first step in healing our relationship with Omaha Northwest High School. We wish you the best in district competition and look forward to sharing the court with you in a more positive manner in the future.”