The mother of a Virginia high schooler demanded answers and accountability from school board officials after her son was called a racial slur during a basketball game, but was ejected from the game while the other player was allowed to stay on the court. Tiana Morton says her son is a sophomore w ho plays on the junior varsity basketball team at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake. Tiana Morton said her son was the victim of racial harassment during a basketball game and was booted from the game, while the offending players were still allowed on the court. (Photos: Screenshot/WAVY) During a basketball matchup against the Hickory High School team, she says racially insensitive language was used throughout the game by the opposing players. “A few of the teammates on the bench, on Hickory’s bench, are the ones that yelled, ‘It’s not a foul. You dumb N-word, stop crying,’ is what they said,” Morton told WVEC. Video footage captured the incident. Morton is heard shouting criticism at the referees and coaches after one Hickory player called her son a slur. ‘Never Acceptable’: White Substitute Teacher Fired for Making Racist Remark at Black Eighth Grader That Was Caught on Viral Clip “He just called him the N-word! Are you serious?!” Morton yelled. The footage also shows her son reacting by trying to confront the offending player. Referees had to intervene to break up both teams when tensions flared, and Morton’s son was subsequently booted from the game. Morton said no consequences were issued to any of the other players, and they were still allowed to play. She also recalled trying to walk across the court to her son after he was benched, but was stopped by security. “But the male police officer did stop me and say there was no law against a word,” Morton told WAVY. After the incident, Morton said her son was suspended for his reaction. She immediately contacted the principal of Hickory High School for answers. The principal confirmed that multiple student players used racially offensive language the night of the game, but did not release details on their identities or whether they faced disciplinary action. The school system also released a statement in the aftermath of the incident: Chesapeake Public Schools is aware of the concerns that have been raised regarding Friday’s basketball game. We take all reports involving student conduct, including allegations of inappropriate or discriminatory language seriously. Because this matter involves students, we are unable to comment on specific individuals or potential disciplinary actions. There are clear procedures in place for reviewing concerns at the school level and in coordination with the VHSL. We are committed to ensuring that all school-sponsored events provide a safe and respectful environment for students, staff, and spectators. During a Chesapeake school board meeting on Feb. 9, Morton recounted the moments her son was placed on the sidelines after the incident. “Recently, during an athletic event, racial language was directed toward my son,” Morton told the school board. “Instead of the behavior being directly addressed, teams were instructed to only speak to their teammates for the rest of their game. The behavior continued, no protections were put into place, and ultimately my son was removed from the game for his adverse response to racial harassment.” She called for the district to review how it addresses racial bullying and demanded more transparency, accountability, staff training and proactive measures that will protect student victims. She said that she has had to “repeatedly advocate for accommodations and safety measures” for her son in the past. Morton did receive an apology from school division officials, but said the incident has impacted her son and his self-esteem. “He’s explained that it’s made him, you know, question, all these situations have made him question who he is, and is he what they all have said true, or just all these different remarks that they’ve made to him throughout this season,” Morton said. “So, I think it’s kind of shaken him a bit. And he did say that this situation, specifically hearing the Hickory parents cheer as he was being escorted off the court after going through what he went through … he said it really hurt his feelings.” ‘No Law Against a Word’: Virginia Mother Says Her Son Was Called Racial Slurs at Basketball Game — Then He Was the Only One Suspended ...read more read less