Former South Bend Common Council member Henry Davis Jr. is calling for South Bend schools to stop competing against Penn High School in athletics following what he described as a racial incident during a boys basketball game against Riley High School last month.
Davis, speaking in support of demands from the local NAACP, said both the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. and the South Bend Community School Corp. should be held accountable for their response.
“I would like to see accountability on both ends, with both organizations, and I’m talking about South Bend Community School Corporation as well as Penn Harris Madison School Corporation as well,” Davis said.
Davis said the issue goes beyond the actions of one student and should prompt broader policy changes. He said Penn should adopt clearer disciplinary policies addressing racial slurs and hostile behavior.
He also criticized South Bend schools, saying district leaders did not do enough to support Riley players or communicate with their families after the incident.
Davis said parents of affected players were not contacted directly by the district and said that response was inadequate.
“If we can’t play together in harmony, then we need to be separated until we have a clear understanding of what respect really is between the two,” Davis said.
Davis, whose son plays basketball at Riley, said he supports the NAACP’s calls for additional training, policy changes and stronger accountability measures.
Black Lives Matter South Bend and Davis said in a press release that they want an immediate suspension of athletic competition between South Bend schools and Penn High School until the NAACP’s demands are addressed.
WVPE has not yet received responses from either school district.
