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Cleveland Area High School Lacrosse Player Wears Swastika on Leg During Game

Update May 23rd: Both head and assistant Lake Catholic lacrosse coaches have resigned; more info here.

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The Orange High School boys lacrosse team defeated Mentor Lake Catholic, 19-7, in tournament game May 16th but the win was overshadowed by antisemitic imagery and slurs.

A May 17 Facebook post shared that a player from Lake Catholic sported a swastika on his thigh and a parent had called a former Orange player the antisemitic slur “kike.”

Orange Superintendent Lynn Campbell shared a letter to Orange families May 17 to address the incident: “It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of an incident that occurred last night on campus during the men’s lacrosse game against Mentor Lake Catholic High School. Our players reported seeing a swastika painted on the leg of a Lake Catholic player, and subsequently, alumni and parents reported that a visitor was using racist slurs toward our team.”

Campbell continued that he has spoken to the president of Lake Catholic who shared that he and the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland were aware of the magnitude of the situation and are addressing the incidents. Due to confidentiality of student discipline, it is not clear what consequences the player will face, he wrote.

Campbell recognized the impact these incidents have on students and the community and the Pepper Pike school has offered support to players as they try to understand and process the incident.

“I am proud of how our athletes took the high road and played with dignity, winning this playoff match in a landslide amidst such upsetting circumstances,” Campbell wrote. “Here at Orange, we are proud of and celebrate our diversity, and we are very proud of all of our fine students.”

StopAntisemitism, an American based watchdog group that monitors antisemitism, tweeted about the incident.