by Tori Newby and Reade Fenner ’22

Updated Oct. 7

At the girls varsity soccer game played at home against Einstein on Thursday, September 30, students in the Sherwood section allegedly shouted racist and body-shaming comments at Einstein players during the game. An Einstein student recorded these comments and the videos surfaced later that night on Instagram. Following the incident, Einstein students responded to the events at the game via social media, tagging the Sherwood SGA and other Sherwood accounts.

Principal Tim Britton made an announcement to the student body during second period on Friday, October 1, expressing disappointment in the behavior of the Sherwood student section without directly referencing the events at the game the night before. 

Later that day on Friday, Sherwood SGA posted on Instagram: “An unfortunate situation at a sporting event last night has recently come to our attention. Administration is working vigilantly to investigate and rectify the situation. Sherwood SGA has absolutely zero tolerance for obscenity at sporting events. This is not representative of Sherwood’s values. Sincerely, Sherwood SGA.”

Some Einstein fans who attended the game were dissatisfied that Sherwood staff did not stop the behavior of their students. Once the game finished, Einstein’s girls soccer coach informed the staff of the abusive comments the players heard during the game. 

Athletic Director Jason Woodward met with the boys varsity soccer team at lunch Friday, as many of the players sat in the student section at the girls’ game the evening before. Friday evening, the boys’ varsity soccer played at Einstein, and no Sherwood students were permitted to attend the game. 

Varsity football played at Northwood Friday night, and SGA changed the student section theme from “country” to pajamas out of concern that the original theme was culturally insensitive or tone-deaf. 

Through social media, other Montgomery County students voiced what they said were their own bad experiences with the Sherwood student section. A member of the Northwood girls volleyball team shared via Instagram stories her experience with a Sherwood student shouting a racial slur and other students giving condescending looks at her and her teammates.

On Monday, October 4, Britton emailed the Sherwood staff, addressing the incident at the soccer game. “We are going to closely monitor our student section and if there is any display of inappropriate comments toward the other team or school; those students involved will be permanently removed from attending school-related activities and have other school-level consequences,” stated Britton.

Also on Monday, schoolwide SGA president Mackenzie Samartzis and vice president Ariana Welch made a comprehensive statement about the events of the previous week. “Racist, homophobic, and discriminatory speech is and has never been tolerated by the Sherwood SGA,” said Samartzis.

Also read: Britton Responds to Disparaging Comments Shouted by Students at Sporting Events