A Georgia high school football coach is under investigation amid allegations that he directed racist remarks at students during a junior varsity game on Oct. 15.
Charles Kenyon, the interim head football coach at Apalachee High School near Winder, resigned on Oct. 21 amid a district investigation into concerning conversations that three parents overheard.
News reports have not named the parents. But one Black father, Ray Michael Williams, spoke to local news outlet Channel 2 Action News about what happened. His son is a senior and on the school’s football team. He had a troubling exchange with Kenyon, a white man, at the game.
According to Williams, Kenyon was working the concession stand when a former student teased him about the burgers he was grilling. Williams said, “he made a comment back to her that this is for whites only.”
Kenyon then allegedly turned to Williams’ son, who was volunteering at the game and talking with a friend while the band practiced, and told the teen to play guard for the band.
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The father said his son was confused by the remark and asked what he meant. Kenyon allegedly responded by pointing to his skin and saying, “Well, you know, color guard.”
One parent who overheard the comments contacted Williams. He told the outlet his son hadn’t mentioned the interaction because the coach was known to make jokes.
“I’m not gonna accept it as a father, as an African-American in the community, as a taxpayer. It’s not acceptable,” he later told Channel 2. He called the school, the superintendent, and the human resources director for the Barrow County school district, and the district launched an investigation.
Multiple local news outlets shared a statement from principal Jessica Rehberg, who addressed the possibility that the remarks were jokes.
It read, in part, “Our school and school system believe and expect that all students, staff, and guests should be treated with dignity and respect. Any inappropriate or unprofessional statement or behavior, even if intended or represented as a ‘joke,’ will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.”
Apalachee High School made national headlines in 2024 after a tragic school shooting. It killed two students and two teachers and injured nine others.
The perpetrator, 14-year-old student Colt Gray, was sentenced to life without parole. The school has faced upheaval in the aftermath, including turnover in its coaching ranks. Alex Savakinas will serve as acting head coach for the rest of the season, the school’s fourth head coach since 2024.
