SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three Yuba City high school football players apologized during an NAACP press conference on Monday for their involvement in a mock slave auction that ended their team’s entire season.
The filmed incident, which made news in September, depicted several River Valley High School varsity football players in a locker room acting out a mock slave auction, shouting dollar amounts as three black students were lined up in front of them.
Alex, whose parents requested his last name not be used, said he did not want to be a part of the so-called prank, but gave into peer pressure, according to a CBS Sacramento video of the press conference.
“This video is harmful to the entire Black community who counts on people like myself to stand against these wrongs rather than participating,” Alex said.
Alex was one of the four Black football players in the viral video seen in their underwear isolated on weighing scales as teammates waged bids portraying them as enslaved persons.
“I was not feeling good about it and I just froze. I just wanted to get it over with so I can go to practice,” said Adrian, another player who apologized at the press conference. “Looking back I wish I (would) have done more to stop (it).”
Their teammate, Marcos, was a part of the group of varsity football players in the locker room yelling different offers towards his Black teammates.
He said he knew the acts committed by him and his teammates were wrong when it happened. He apologized to his teammates, his family and his community.
“I didn’t have the courage to stop myself or my teammates and I wish I would have,” said Marcos. “I am personally going to work on getting a better understanding of other cultures and their histories.”
The Yuba City Unified School District launched an investigation and called the incident “disgraceful.” The video went viral and was widely reported across the country.
The students said they received a three-day suspension from school.
The Greater Sacramento NAACP held the press conference after it met with the district to call for further action from the administration. School district officials said they are working on a plan to further educate students and staff on anti-bias and anti-racist behaviors.
“These young men have been marginalized,” said NAACP legal chair Justin Ward. “They have been taught that they were like a slave, and the slaves had no value, they had no rights, and that’s how these young men were treated.”
NAACP Criminal Justice and Political Action Chair LaMills Garrett said these events have happened too often across the region.
“These systems of racism create these school environments,” Lamills said. “And we then have to have these meetings like today.”
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