Catholic high school in Conn. apologizes for racist taunts

MANCHESTER, Conn. - The president of a Connecticut high school apologized Tuesday after cheerleaders from another school reported being subjected to racist taunts after a football game there.

Sean Brennan, the president of East Catholic High School, said an investigation has not been able to determine who was involved in the Sept. 24 incident following his school's game with Montville High School. But, he said the school has "no tolerance for derisive and unkind words or behavior directed at our own students or students from other schools."

"I am deeply sorry this happened, and I promise you that we can and will do better," he wrote in an open letter to the Montville High School community.

A 16-year-old Black cheerleader from Montville reported that two East Catholic football players used a racial epithet in telling her to go home after East Catholic won the game. Another cheerleader reported that she also was subjected to racial slurs and the cheerleaders had water thrown at them.

Brennan had earlier issued a statement saying the school took the reports seriously but did not believe "anything inappropriate was said."

There have been daily protests outside East Catholic since the interaction was reported and leaders from both schools met on Sept. 29 to discuss it with officials from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which oversees high schools sports in the state. 

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The CIAC said both schools will be sending student representatives to an upcoming training session on sportsmanship. 

Montville High School officials also released a letter Tuesday accepting East Catholic's apology.

"We look forward to bringing together student leaders from both of our schools to ensure we all learn from this incident," officials wrote.