A rivalry high school basketball game in Santa Maria, California, turned ugly when the visiting team's student section started a "Where's your passport?" chant apparently directed at players from the opposing team.
According to the Santa Maria Times, St. Joseph High School's roster includes one player from France and three players from Puerto Rico — which is a United States territory.
As the game wound down and it became apparent that the visiting team, Righetti High School, would lose to home team St. Joseph, students from Righetti started the chant to vent their frustration, a move that sent the home team's Principal Erinn Dougherty fuming over to the student section.
In a video of the incident, Dougherty is seen rushing to the sideline to confront the Righetti students before exchanging words with Righetti High assistant principal Ted Lyon as a woman stepped in and led her away from the crowd. Dougherty appeared to be choked up and on the verge of crying as she was escorted away.
Kind of a disappointing ending to a good game as the visiting student section chanted “where’s your passport?”, app… https://t.co/KDeONTmBpM— Joe Bailey (@Joe Bailey)1581482248.0
After the game, St. Joseph coach Tom Mott downplayed the chant, saying it was just an outflow of the heated competition.
"Kids are going to do whatever they're going to do and our guys enjoy playing in great atmospheres like this," Mott said when asked about the chant. "Anything our crowd or their crowd does is just part of the game."
The incident is currently under investigation by the school district.
(H/T: L.A. Times)
