Latest news with #Rattiner
Fox News
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
HS basketball coach suspended after hanging up Palestinian flag, refusing to shake hands with Jewish coaches
A Colorado high school basketball coach was suspended after he was seen hanging up a Palestinian flag, and after he refused to shake hands with the opposing coach following a game against a Jewish school last week. Lotus School for Excellence in Aurora and Denver Torah Academy competed against each other on Jan. 22. The Lotus School told Denver's 9 News that the head coach of the team, identified only as Coach O., brought out a Palestinian flag before the game and hung it up. The school said after the game the coach reacted to the flag again before going to the handshake line. The coach reportedly failed to shake hands with the coaches of Denver Torah. "He grabs his flag and puts it around his neck," Lotus School's athletic director Deon Jackson told the station. "We saw the intent at that point." Emrek Bakyt, the school's principal, announced the coach was suspended along with another assistant coach, according to the New York Post. "It has nothing to do with Lotus," Bakyt said. "It does not represent us, and we are, again, all about respect and diversity. That's what we celebrate. That's what we take pride in." Brandon Rattiner, a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council, condemned the coach's actions in an interview with the New York Post. "I think everybody in the Jewish community is very aware that there's been a rising tide of antisemitism since Oct. 7," Rattiner, who spoke on behalf of Denver Torah, told the paper. "And we've seen it in schools here and all throughout the country on many different occasions." Rattiner added that he thought the "key issue" was when the coach refused to shake the hands of the Jewish coaches. "The key issue here is when the coach refuses to engage with a Jewish coach and Jewish students simply because they are Jewish or holding them personally accountable for a conflict started, not by Israel by the way, halfway across the world thousands and thousands of miles away," he said. "Holding Jewish people accountable for the state actions of Israel is a textbook form of antisemitism." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
CBS News
28-01-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
High school coach in Colorado suspended after reports of antisemitism, unsportsmanlike behavior
Parents are concerned after witnessing what they believe were displays of antisemitism at a high school basketball game between Lotus School For Excellence and Denver Academy of Torah. The boys' basketball game took place on Jan. 22 at Lotus School For Excellence in Aurora. Lotus' coach, "Coach O", reportedly hung a Palestinian flag on a railing near the court and refused to shake hands with DAT's coach after the game. Lotus School for Excellence says it does not tolerate any form of antisemitism and has launched an investigation into the incident. Ermek Bakyt, Secondary Principal at Lotus, says their school stands for inclusion and values diversity. "That coach's single act doesn't represent what we stand for," said Bakyt. "We haven't seen any flags being hung in previous games. This was an isolated incident and we took action immediately." Coach O, a subcontracted employee for the school, was suspended following the game. Parents from DAT quickly raised concerns about what they said was unsportsmanlike and antisemitic behavior. Brandon Rattiner with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Colorado spoke to CBS Colorado on behalf of DAT. "It crosses the line when adults in positions of power use that position to advance a political agenda," said Rattiner. "To use that opportunity of being proximate to Jews to make a statement about geopolitics across the world is really bad leadership from those coaches." A parent letter addressed to members at Lotus, CHSAA, and the CDE also calls for the suspension of the basketball team pending a full investigation. Some parents reported that members of the Lotus basketball team also did not engage with the opposing team or shake hands, a gesture typically seen as a sign of respect at the end of games. Lotus conducted an internal investigation, speaking with players and reviewing footage of the game. A review of surveillance video from the game shows the student athletes, at both schools, shaking hands. "Posting about it online, removing any context from the event, and fanning the flames of division makes these sorts of incidents more likely," said Rattiner. "The challenge of moments like this is they get amplified online by people from all sides that mean well." After Coach O's refusal to shake hands, the coaches are later seen in what appears to be an argument on the court. Denver Academy of Torah requested a meeting with Lotus the next day. "There was a really, really good conversation, a healthy conversation, and they got to a resolution that worked for both schools. There were open lines of communication and mutual understanding," Rattiner stated. "This was a teaching moment, and instead of just fanning the flames of vitriol and division online, these administrations came together, worked to find the solution that added everybody's experience there." Both schools are committed to turning this situation into a teaching opportunity. Bakyt says the school will continue to revisit its athletic programs and potentially implement further cultural sensitivity training in the future.
