Gig Harbor game sparks outrage as Tacoma Lincoln High players endure racial slurs and insensitivity yet again

Tacoma’s Lincoln High School basketball game on Friday, December 13, 2024, turned into a troubling incident when their players reported facing racial slurs during their match against Gig Harbor High School.

The game held at Gig Harbor High has left many outraged and demanding accountability. As per the statement issued by Peninsula School District, a student from Gig Harbor apparently made a racially charged remark to a Tacoma player.

According to a video received by KIRO 7 News, a person in the stands can be heard yelling some racial slurs as a player from Lincoln High readies himself for a free shot. Thankfully, the Gig Harbor Administration promptly took cognizance of the issue and removed the person involved before the situation escalated any further.

“This behavior is unacceptable, does not reflect the values we strive to uphold, and is in direct opposition to who we want to be as a district community,” the statement issued by Peninsula School District read.

Furthermore, the Peninsula School District has assured that they have been looking into the incident and taking the necessary steps to address it.

“We recognize that some concerns within our community may have gone unresolved or lacked the attention they deserved in the past,” the statement further reads.

“We want to assure everyone that moving forward, we are fully committed to addressing these issues with transparency, accountability, and thoroughness," it concluded.

However, the issue seems to be a prevalent one since many reports have started to crop up about similar incidents in the area in past years.

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Not the first time racial words hurled at Lincoln High players

Although the local authorities and concerned parties intervened on time to mitigate the issue, the incident doesn't seem to be an isolated one. Several parents taking to KIRO 7 News shared similar incidents in the area in the past year. It happened when Lincoln High played Gig Harbor in the playoffs as well as during a football game.

"It is not the first time it has happened. Last season, there were monkey sounds happening in the crowd when we played Gig Harbor in the playoffs. I know this season it happened in a football game and again this game. It’s upsetting and dehumanizing,” a local resident, Edwards, told Kiro 7 News.

However, amid all the chaos caused during the game and despite facing racial slurs, Tacoma players maintained their cool. During the game, Lincoln High managed to keep its lead intact over Gig Harbor throughout all four quarters and emerged victorious with the final score of 47-39.