East Davidson High School in Thomasville, North Carolina, ended its varsity soccer season on October 28 after a video of the team on a bus spread on social media.
In the video, a student tells the other students on the bus to make noise if they hate "N-word racial slur", and many of the students on the bus make noise. The school said its decision came after a "thorough investigation and careful consideration."
"The behavior depicted in the social media post is unacceptable and does not reflect the standards we uphold at East Davidson High School," the school said in a statement. "We recognize the impact this decision has on our student-athletes and appreciate our school community's understanding as we address this matter." The cancellation, it said, "reflects the seriousness of the situation and our commitment to upholding the standards of conduct and accountability expected of all students."
The team finished 17-4. That record includes a forfeit on October 26, after the video surfaced, in what was the school's final regular-season game. The 3A state playoffs are scheduled to begin November 2.
In a separate statement, Principal Jennifer Woodrum said school leaders "strongly condemn the behavior." She said students would face consequences under district policies and that the school has a responsibility to protect student privacy. School officials have not released details about any individual discipline.
The Davidson County NAACP thanked the Davidson County Schools district for communicating about the incident. "We also thank the administration for their swift action to resolve the matter properly," the group said.
East Davidson High had 709 students in the 2024-25 school year, according to federal data. About 73% were white and 3% were Black. The school is about 30 minutes south of Winston-Salem and Greensboro.
Sources
WBTV: North Carolina high school cancels soccer season after racist video goes viral
WCNC via Yahoo News: North Carolina high school ends varsity soccer season after video involving reported racial slur
WGHP FOX8 via Yahoo Sports: East Davidson High School varsity soccer team season over after viral video
Enrollment and demographics from allk12's analysis of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
