November 27th 2024.
The recent discovery of racist and homophobic messages in the visitors locker room at Montrose High School has sparked a heated controversy between the two schools involved. This unfortunate incident took place during a Class 4A state playoff game between Mesa Ridge and Montrose last Saturday. The following day, Mesa Ridge coach Jerimi Calip shared images of the messages with the media, leading to an official investigation by the Montrose County School District.
According to the district's statement, they reviewed 24 hours of surveillance footage and found no evidence that the messages were targeted towards Mesa Ridge. However, Calip told The Denver Post that his team had discovered the messages before the game began, but he didn't realize the gravity of the situation until after the game when he reviewed the video and photos taken by his staff.
The footage shared by Calip showed hateful messages written in dust on the lockers, including a racial slur for Black people, a derogatory remark for Asians, and a swastika. Calip also expressed how these messages affected the performance of his team, who ultimately lost the game 53-21. He stated that he didn't even recognize his own team, as they were mentally affected by the hate speech.
The Montrose County School District released a statement on Tuesday, stating that they were deeply troubled by what had happened. They also mentioned that they launched an investigation in response to Mesa Ridge's complaints, which were initially sent to the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA). However, the district found the timing and handling of the matter concerning, as Mesa Ridge had multiple opportunities to report the issue before, during, and after the game, but failed to do so.
Calip, on the other hand, took issue with the district's statement and emphasized that he wanted the person responsible for writing the messages to be held accountable. He also mentioned that after the game, a social media account called "Montrose Barstool" posted a since-deleted picture of Mike Tyson with Mesa Ridge logos on his buttocks. This added to the already tense situation.
The source of the hateful messages remains unknown, and the district is now working with the Montrose Police Department to further investigate the incident. CHSAA also released a statement condemning the display of racism and homophobia and acknowledging their responsibility as adult caretakers to educate and model good behavior for the younger generation.
Interestingly, this is not the first controversy surrounding these two teams this season. In their previous encounter in October, a Mesa Ridge fan tackled a Montrose coach after the game. Calip explained that this was a result of back-and-forth trash-talking between the crowd and the Montrose coaches' box. The Mesa Ridge fan was subsequently banned from attending CHSAA events.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Montrose is set to continue their playoff journey on Saturday when they host Pueblo West in the Class 4A semifinals. They are eager to clinch the program's first state title since 1950. Stay tuned for more sports news by signing up for the Sports Omelette to get all the analysis on Denver's teams.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
