NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Officials with the North Tonawanda and Niagara Falls school districts launched investigations after it was alleged that racist slurs were used during a recent JV girls soccer game.
The alleged incident by a group of North Tonawanda students, toward Niagara Falls students, happened Thursday evening in North Tonawanda.
"The entire North Tonawanda Schools District is saddened and outraged at the alleged behavior of a group of students at the home JV soccer game last evening," North Tonawanda superintendent Gregory Woytila said in a statement posted to the district website.
"The Board of Education and the entire staff here in North Tonawanda take this seriously and are investigating it further. Both Niagara Falls and NT administration are working together to get to the bottom of this."
Niagara Falls superintendent Mark Laurrie said during a phone interview on Friday night that he was confident North Tonawanda would act immediately and accordingly based on the investigation's findings.
"I'm proud of our girls and will be meeting with them Monday at practice," Laurrie told 2 On Your Side. "I commend them on their behavior and their concentration, in light of what happened."
Laurrie said that he has given all of the information available to North Tonawanda school officials. He said he learned of the alleged incident from other people who were at the game.
"I hope something positive comes out of it," he said Friday night. "Right now, my focus is on our student-athletes."