St. Louis Park Won’t Play New Prague Due to Alleged Racist Taunts

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. (AP) — A suburban Minneapolis high school has informed New Prague athletics officials that it will not compete in any further games against its teams this year because of racial taunting.

St. Louis Park athletics director Andrew Ewald sent an email to his counterpart at New Prague, Brad Skogerboe, which said the ban “will continue until the harm that was caused is repaired and we are assured that any of our stakeholders, most importantly our students, will not be victimized by racism by any New Prague stakeholder in the future.”

Ewald said students in St. Louis Park High School’s boys hockey program were subjected to racist taunts Feb. 15 while in New Prague, a small community southwest of the Twin Cities. New Prague began playing in the Metro West Conference this school year.

Ewald also cited separate alleged racist incidents experienced by student-athletes from other districts in his letter.

According to the New Prague Times, New Prague students and adults made racist taunts during a high school girls’ basketball game against Robbinsdale on Feb 15. Robbinsdale coaches asked them to stop.

New Prague superintendent Tim Dittberner said the taunting allegations are being investigated by an outside firm.

“If (the allegations) are substantiated,” he said, “the district will take prompt and appropriate action. We have a policy prohibiting racial violence and discrimination and strive to provide an environment that is welcoming to all.”