Hays High School volleyball alleges racist slurs hurled by opposing crowd members

Hays CISD and Comal ISD have launched separate investigations into an alleged incident involving racial slurs hurled at players during a high school volleyball match.

On Friday, Sept. 2, the Hays Hawk Volleyball Team traveled to New Braunfels for an away game against Canyon High School.

During the game, multiple students in the audience reportedly used “hateful and racial slurs” toward Hays High School volleyball players, according to an official statement from the Hays Hawks Volleyball Team.

“We also did not feel that enough was done to remedy the situation after our coaching staff brought the incident to the attention of the Canyon High School administrator on duty,” the team’s statement read.

Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright also spoke out on the alleged incident in a letter to Hays CISD parents, informing them that the school reached out to the Comal ISD superintendent, and “they assure us they are taking this matter seriously.”

Wright commended Hays CISD volleyball players “for their brave action in confronting hate and for their maturity in handling a situation to which no student should ever be subjected (to).”

“The experience left our Hawks volleyball players distraught, but they have chosen to be strong together, as a team,” he said.

In a Facebook post, Comal ISD Acting Superintendent Mandy Epley responded to the allegations by assuring the Hays CISD community that any students found to have made racial slurs during the volleyball game will be disciplined  “to the fullest extent possible.”

“Comal ISD and Canyon High School will not tolerate this sort of behavior as it does not represent who we are as a District or as a campus,” she wrote. “The students, staff and community at Canyon High School have worked hard to create a culture of inclusion and acceptance. Any comments that a single student, or group of students, may have made are not reflective of the overall student body at Canyon High School or Comal ISD.”

Epley closed her statement with an apology.

“Finally, I want to personally apologize to the players and coaches on the Hays High School volleyball team, as well as the Hays High School community, for any inappropriate comments that may have been made,” her post reads. “Please be assured that we will get to the bottom of this issue and that Comal ISD will not tolerate any racially intolerant behavior.”

The Daily Record reached out to Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy for further comment on the events of last Friday’s volleyball game.

“The team met and chose not to do individual interviews, but rather let their statement stand for the entire group in solidarity,” Savoy said. “We are going to honor that as well and not do any interviews at this time.”