MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The PIAA wants Southern Columbia High School administrators to investigate and take action against individuals involved in a racially offensive video and also signs that were posted on social media after the school’s football team beat Westinghouse of the Pittsburgh City League in Friday’s state championship.
PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said Saturday morning the organization “doesn’t put up with this. We want everybody to know that this can’t be tolerated and we won’t stand for it.”
Lombardi said he talked with Southern Columbia principal William Callahan and also City League athletic director Karen Arnold about the situation.
“We asked Southern Columbia to investigate,” Lombardi said. “Let’s give the schools a chance to research, react and see what actions they take, and we’ll go from there.
“We were provided videos and pictures that are very hurtful and disturbing. This doesn’t belong in our interscholastic space. ... We’ll review what they do and see if they need to come in for a hearing in front of our board.”
Lombardi said he became aware of the situation Friday night. Southern Columbia, a school in eastern Pennsylvania that is predominantly white, defeated Westinghouse for the PIAA Class 2A championship. Westinghouse has predominantly Black students.
A TikTok video Friday shows two Southern Columbia players on the team bus after the game. The words “Westinghouse is gonna win states” are embedded on the video. One of the players has his face in his hands before he shows his face and starts laughing while holding a sign that says PIAA Class 2A champions. Then, words from a song are played that say “gotcha [racial slur].”
But there is more. Southern Columbia had a pep rally earlier in the week and a sign from the pep rally posted on social media says, “Whip Westinghouse.” There is a hand-drawn whip next to the words. There was also a sign that read, “A Southern state of mind.”
Lombardi said it is not clear where the signs were posted. He also said he got the impression from Callahan that he didn’t know the signs existed.
“We don’t know who developed the signs,” Lombardi said. “We just saw the photos. That’s why we corresponded with the school.”
Pittsburgh Public Schools issued a statement that read, “The District is aware of photos and a video circulating in social media that feature Southern Columbia football players and cheerleaders displaying racial slurs, as well as racially offensive and inappropriate rhetoric. We are greatly dismayed and hurt by the images. This type of egregious and unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable.
“Upon receipt of the images, Pittsburgh Public Schools officials reported the displays to the PIAA for immediate action and investigation and will follow up with an official report in writing. We are focused on the needs of any student impacted by the images and will be prepared to provide support to students when they return to school on Monday.”
Neither Westinghouse coach Donta Green nor Southern Columbia coach Jim Roth were available for comment. Roth was extremely complimentary of Westinghouse after the game, and so was Southern Columbia star running back Braeden Wisloski.
“They were one of the most physical teams I ever played,” Wisloski said of Westinghouse. “They come up and smoke you. I’m used to seeing kids and juking them. But they did a great job today. I have great respect for them.”
Roth said, “We’ve lost to a lot of teams [in state championships] that probably weren’t as good as this Westinghouse team.”
Lombardi said there were relatively no incidents between the two teams during the game.
“There was a little back and forth in the coin toss, but the coaches took care of it,” Lombardi said. “We had a little dust-up on the last play of the half, but that was just a little emotion of a hit out of bounds. Players were penalized and the game was played. It was a good game.”
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh.
First Published: December 10, 2022, 5:49 p.m.
Updated: December 11, 2022, 1:12 p.m.