NJSIAA: Not enough proof of racial bias in banana case

Although the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association found there was not enough proof a prank by the Summit High football team was racially motivated when members of the Summit team placed bananas in a hole in the door of a visiting locker room in Summit before a Sept. 13 game with North Plainfield, the NJSIAA has mandated three specific steps that Summit High School must take in response to the incident.

State association Executive Director Steven Timko said in a statement released Monday that there was "insufficient proof" that the incident was a bias prank. A complaint was brought to the NJSIAA by North Plainfield High School.

"After reviewing the evidence, the Controversies Committee — comprised of administrators from member schools — unanimously determined there was insufficient proof that the incident was an intentional act of racial bias or harassment. The committee could not find that Summit's football team acted with a racial animus, and evidence showed Summit's games against predominantly African-American teams included no racial taunts or other unsportsmanlike acts," said Timko in the statement.

"This said, the committee was concerned that Summit High School failed to understand or appreciate the fact that pushing bananas through a door and into the locker room of a predominantly African-American team could be taken as offensive. Summit coaches should have known what their players were doing; they should have recognized that putting bananas into the hole could cause offense; and they should have stopped it. So, the committee concluded that three specific steps must be taken.

No. 1: The ruling also requires that team captains from both teams meet before the end of the current season at North Plainfield High School to "foster reconciliation" and meet again before the start of next season with this year's captains choosing the location.

No. 2 Summit High School must submit a "Corrective Action Plan" to the state association for review and approval. The plan requires at least an in-service training program for the entire coaching staff focused on sensitivity and understanding of racial-bias incidents.

No. 3 Summit High Athletic Director Bob Lockhart must submit a certification prior to the start of the next three sports seasons, certifying that he has reviewed it with the entire coaching staff, reviewing all NJSIAA sportsmanship rules in detail."

North Plainfield Athletic Director Karl Gordon said he wouldn't be able to comment on the ruling until after a Tuesday morning conference call with Board of Education attorneys. The board could appeal.

"The Summit Board of Education and its administration are delighted by the unanimous determination by the NJSIAA controversies committee that found no evidence of racial taunting or racial bias in connection with the incident between Summit's football team and North Plainfield's football (team), and went on to conclude there has been no evidence of racial bias among any of Summit High Schools' opponents," said Summit Board of Education attorney Vito A. Gagliardi Jr.

"While we share the committee's concern that any action of Summit's players were upsetting to North Plainfield's players, the administration of Summit had already reached out to North Plainfield to try to address those issues moving forward and will do so now — again — as consistent with the NJSIAA determination."

The controversies committee is made up of three athletic directors and a superintendent of schools. None of the committee members are affiliated with the football-only Mid-State 38 to which both schools belong, nor are they affiliated with the Skyland Conference and Union County Conference, to which North Plainfield and Summit, respectively, belong for all other sports.

A state association controversies committee heard testimony Thursday from Summit and North Plainfield officials and coaches and officials and coaches from Cranford, Delaware Valley and Roselle — schools that played at Summit last season. The hearing took six hours at the NJSIAA headquarters in Robbinsville.

Of the 51 players on North Plainfield's varsity roster, 27 are African-American, according to North Plainfield coach Bobby Lake.

"Somebody put a banana in the door to our locker room. We took it out. Somebody put another one in. We took it out again," said North Plainfield captain J.T. Valley a few days after the incident. "We were very offended. But all I wanted to do was get back to playing football."

Summit Superintendent Nathan Parker said in a prepared statement in the days following that the practice of placing a banana in the door knob hole was started by players last year "to reduce teams looking in or overhearing each other.

"It went on to be considered good luck when Summit won a state championship last season," he said in the statement. "Some of Summit's players began this practice again on Saturday. The North Plainfield team interpreted the action as a racial taunt. However, this was not the intent.

"Racism is unacceptable. We do not tolerate it in our schools, on our fields or in our community. One of Summit's greatest assets is its diverse community, something that we truly value. While the nature of this act was misunderstood, the fact that others felt targeted is taken very seriously."

Staff Writer Harry Frezza: 732-565-7363; hfrezza@mycentraljersey.com