Brookwood investigating racial slur spelled out during marching band halftime show

Brookwood investigating racial slur spelled out during marching band halftime show ...

Brookwood investigating racial slur spelled out during marching band halftime show

Brookwood High School officials said disciplinary action is expected to be taken against members of the Brookwood marching band sousaphone section who spelled out a racial slur for African-Americans during the band’s halftime show at Friday night’s game against Lakeside High School. The school is also reviewing halftime procedures as a result of the incident. (File Photo)

Brookwood Principal Bo Ford apologized to parents and the community over the weekend for a racial slur being spelled out by members of the school’s marching band during its halftime show at the game against Lakeside High School on Friday.

The incident involved sousaphone players in the band who left covers on the horn of their instruments and at one point spelled out what the principal called a “completely unacceptable, racial term” for African-Americans. The covers are not supposed to be on the sousaphones when the band is performing on the field, Ford wrote in his letter.

“Not only was the appearance of this term during our halftime show hurtful and disrespectful to audience members, it also was disappointing, as it does not reflect the standards and beliefs of our school and community,” Ford said.

The incident has led to an investigation with the school’s halftime procedures undergoing a review, according to the principal. Ford also said disciplinary action will be taken against the sousaphone players involved.

The sousaphone is a large horn instrument that wraps around the player and is the marching band equivalent of a tuba.

“For those of you who have attended our games, you may have noticed that the sousaphones wear covers in the stands to show school spirit,” Ford said. “The covers spell out ‘BRONCOS’ and some of them feature our Bronco mascot.

“Our band does not wear these covers on the field because they shield the sound and because, during the halftime show, our band members move around the field and do not stand in the same order as they do in the stands.”

Ford told parents and community members that activity around the field was “very busy.” He also said that because of senior night activities and there were also “several personnel challenges that resulted in our band director not being on the field when the band took the field.

“With that in mind, when the sousaphone players took the field, they did not follow band rules and normal practice, and instead, they left the covers on their instruments,” the principal said.

Gwinnett County Public Schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach told the Daily Post that the district is limiting comment on the incident right now because of the ongoing investigation. She said Ford did not want to wait until the school week began to address the issue, though.

“Mr. Ford felt it was important to reach out to his community as quickly as possible, not waiting until Monday, to make sure that they knew this was a situation that is being taken seriously,” Roach said. “As this is still under investigation, I do not have any additional information I can share.”

Curt Yeomans

I'm a Crawford Long baby who grew up in Marietta. I eventually wandered away from home and attended the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, Miss., where I first tried my hand at majoring in film for a couple of years. And then political sc

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