A longtime PA announcer at an Oklahoma high school sparked outrage with an “unfortunate and inappropriate” remark he made while introducing the lineup of a visiting girl’s basketball team on Friday.
“Their names are pretty disgusting, [but] I’m going to try to call them out,” the announcer is heard saying in a clip posted to Facebook last week ahead of a game between Crooked Oak High School and home team, Newkirk High School.
The comment drew audible gasps and confusion from spectators in the crowd who asked, “What did he just say?” Even the players on the court — at least two of whom were African-American — were taken aback.
Crooked Oak Principal Laura Knight said the announcer’s remark roused the “mama bear” inside her, adding, “I love these kids with my whole heart. Those girls handled it beautifully and rose above.”
Newkirk Public Schools Superintendent Brady Barnes also addressed the incident in a statement this weekend, saying the man had spent the last 20 years announcing Newkirk games without incident. He told The Oklahoman he could’ve never imagined the announcer would say such a thing.
“I myself was caught off guard when I heard him say that,” Barnes said of the announcer, who’s in his 80s and regularly announces starting lineups. “I was like, ‘There’s no way he just said that.’ But he did, and it’s nothing we condone or support.”
According to local station KOCO 5, Crooked Oak officials said the announcer had asked for pronunciations of each player’s name and went through them correctly more than once prior to Friday’s game.
“To the Newkirk and Crooked Oak communities at large, I’d like to say that this unfortunate comment doesn’t represent the Newkirk Public Schools or its beliefs,” Barnes later wrote in a message posted to the district’s Facebook page. “We sincerely apologize for any pain or affront to our announcer’s comment has caused Crooked Oak players, parents, patrons and school employees.”
In her online post, Knight said administrators from Newkirk High sought her out to apologize, and that the fans and coaches were all very hospitable. She noted the announcer was replaced with a person “that went to lengths to ensure that everything else was announced correctly.”
Niche.com shows Crooked Oak has an B+ grade in diversity, with over 50 percent of students being Latino and 13 percent of students identifying as Black/African-American. A roster of the school’s girls’ basketball team was not immediately available for reference.
Citing privacy issues, Barnes declined to comment on the disciplinary action that could be taken against the announcer.
Players from Crooked Oak have spoken out since the incident and said they’re using it as a moment to uplift and inspire others.
“Embrace your name, because your name is truly something beautiful that you have, and just take pride in it and don’t let anyone tell you different,” one of the girls told KOCO 5. “Just because your name’s not on a bumper sticker doesn’t mean you’re not special.”
