CPS addresses unfounded Claims of Racism and Anti-semitism made at football game

By Anna Pociu, 2023

Published 9/29/2021

Cheshire Public Schools officials are investigating reports of anti-Semitism and racism from a home football game last Friday night between CHS and Westport's Staples High School (SHS).

During Friday's game, there was a complaint made by Westport students to Cheshire Police officers about CHS students waving an Israeli flag in the student section. The Westport students claimed that they felt the flag-waving was an effort to insult their religion. In response, a CHS administrator stationed by the student section directing the student to put away the flag to minimize conflict.

In allegations posted online following the game (see above right), Westport students claimed that the CHS student section shouted racist insults throughout the game while waving a Confederate flag. Social media also exploded with pictures of the Israeli flag in the CHS student section accompanied by unfounded claims of anti-Semitism. Since then, all original Westport social media posts have been taken down.

However, according to a statement by CPS Superintendant Dr. Solan, “The Cheshire High School students holding the blue and white flag who were themselves, in fact, Jewish, were doing so as part of a red, white, and blue theme the student section was celebrating that night.” The Cheshire students were actually “confused and concerned that they were directed to put the flag of their heritage away without any understanding of why”.

This weekend, the Staples High School student newspaper, The Inklings, ran a story on the incident. In their article, they seem to have misconstrued the theme of the CHS student section, claiming that it was USA-themed and not red, white, and blue. “‘One of them said ‘What if they [the CHS students with the flag] are just Jewish?’’ and we [a Westport student] responded by saying ‘Why would they bring an Israeli flag to a high school football game when Cheshire’s theme was U.S.A.,’” said a Westport student. To reiterate, the Israeli flag was being displayed by a Jewish student as part of the theme; students can choose how they want to approach the specific theme of the games. It was not displayed as anti-Semitic in any way.

CHS students who were present in and around the student section throughout the entire game also came forward to confront the allegations. According to their firsthand reports, the alleged racist or antisemitic chants never happened. Based on a thorough review of images and police body cameras from the game, as well as questioning of students present, there was also no Confederate flag.

On Friday night, the @cheshireramland official Instagram account for the CHS student section was in contact with Westport superfans in an attempt to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, the allegations continued to escalate, forcing the Ramland account to become private to continue civil contact with the Westport superfans and temporarily stop the flood of unfounded claims from Westport students.

In his statement, Dr. Solan reaffirmed that “ Cheshire Public Schools is deeply opposed to any expression of hate and remains committed to aggressively addressing such behavior”. Cheshire Public Schools has been in continuous communication with the Westport Public Schools and the Connecticut Anti-Defamation League since these alarming and unfounded allegations surfaced Friday night. They are all hoping to resolve this as soon as possible.