ETHS board presses Loyola Academy and Central Suburban League after racial slur at girls basketball game

Evanston Township High School Board President opened the March 9 meeting by calling discussion of a recent incident at a girls basketball game "a priority," saying ETHS "students and our staff deserve to be treated with respect" and that a referee had removed the individual who made a racial slur.

Board members described the episode as part of a longer pattern in the Central Suburban League (CSL). Trustee Liz said a Loyola spectator shouted "Chewbacca" at an ETHS player during a free throw — a slur the board called dehumanizing — and that the crowd reaction and a photograph showing students laughing compounded the harm. Several trustees said Loyola’s visit to ETHS to apologize felt like a parent excusing a child unless followed by demonstrable accountability and training.

Trustees also raised a separate allegation about an adult: multiple witnesses told board members a Loyola coach allegedly called an ETHS coach a derogatory word and repeated it when confronted. Board members emphasized that the coach allegation has not been formally investigated; the board described it as "alleged" and urged Loyola leadership and CSL to confirm whether interviews and disciplinary steps have occurred. "A restorative apology is only as good as the accountability that follows it," the board president said.

Trustees proposed a mix of responses: require CSL to outline training and restorative practices, make training and policies repeatable (not one-off), and consider competitive sanctions for repeated, egregious behavior to create stronger deterrents. Some trustees suggested CSL adopt clearer consequences — including possible disqualification — to ensure standards in gymnasiums, arenas and fields match classroom expectations.

Board members also spoke about harm to students who attend Loyola: several trustees noted that Black students who sat near the student section that shouted at ETHS athletes would understandably feel betrayed and unsafe. The board asked administrators to monitor CSL’s follow-up and to report back if the district’s offers to cooperate in any investigation have been accepted.

The board did not take a formal disciplinary action against any external individual during the meeting; trustees framed their remarks as a call for accountability from Loyola Academy and the Central Suburban League and requested confirmation of investigative steps where allegations remain unresolved.