High School Band Facing Disciplinary Action After Spelling Out Racial Slur During Halftime Show

A Georgia marching band is under fire, and facing disciplinary action after spelling out a racial slur during a halftime show at a Friday night football game. 

The incident occurred in the middle of a game between Gwinnett County’s Brookwood High and Dekalb County’s Lakeside High when a few members of the Brookwood band assembled themselves to spell out the word “coon” with their instrument covers.

In a letter obtained by the AJC, Brookwood Principal William Bo Ford Jr. explained that the covers-usually worn in the stands-normally spell out the word “broncos” to show school spirit, but on Friday, the sousaphone players took advantage of the band’s “personnel challenges” and spelled out the racial slur instead. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

As he addressed students, teachers and the entire school community, he apologized for the “completely unacceptable, racial term” and guaranteed the students involved would face “disciplinary action.” 

“For those of you who have attended our games, you may have noticed that the sousaphones wear covers in the stands to show school spirit,” he wrote. “Our band does not wear these covers on the field because they shield the sound and because during the halftime show our band members move around the field and do not stand in the same order as they do in the stands. That said, last night during what was already a very busy senior night, we experienced several personnel challenges that resulted in our band director not being on the field when the band took the field.

”With that in mind, when the sousaphone players took the field, they did not follow band rules and normal practice, and instead, they left the covers on their instruments.” 

As Ford continued, he apologized and acknowledged that the incident is under investigation. 

“Not only was the appearance of this term during our halftime show hurtful and disrespectful to audience members, it also was disappointing, as it does not reflect the standards and beliefs of our school and community. We are a very inclusive community and we care about all of our students. We are concerned that this situation occurred and are committed to taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.”