• A Northern California high school disciplined several members of its football team after they made a video in which they appeared to hold a “slave auction.”

A California high school has canceled the remainder of its football season after team members were filmed enacting a prank in which they appeared to “auction off” black teammates.

Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi called the video “unacceptable” and “deeply offensive.”

“The recording clearly demonstrates that this situation was orchestrated and staged, underlining my concern that students spent time watching this terrible act without any consideration that this action is hateful and hurtful,” Osumi said.

The students involved in the “unfortunate and extremely distressing incident” were banned from competing for the remainder of the football season for violating the student-athlete code of conduct, she said.

Because of this, the varsity football team no longer has enough members to play and has missed the rest of the season, she said.

“Recreating a slave sale as a joke tells us that we have a lot of work to do with our students so they can distinguish between intent and impact,” the superintendent wrote.

“You may have thought this parody was funny, but it’s not; It is unacceptable and requires us to take an honest and in-depth look at the issues of systemic racism.”

Osumi added that some students may face disciplinary consequences as a result of the video and that the school will also implement “education, honest and open discussion and instruction” about racism.

“Right now, the District and site administration are working seriously to identify lessons and programs to help our student body learn from this situation,” she continued.

“When students find humor in something that is so deeply offensive, it tells me that we have an opportunity to help them expand their mindset so that they are more aware, thoughtful and considerate of others,” she concluded.

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