Evanston Township High School's marching band reportedly faced racist and homophobic comments and other offensive behavior from New Trier fans during the two schools' rivalry football game last Friday night, according to district officials. The alleged harassment occurred during the first-ever high school football game held at Northwestern University's new Ryan Field in Evanston, a contest New Trier went on to win 42-28.
Evanston Township High School District 202 and New Trier Township High School District 203 issued a joint statement addressing the incident, as reported by ABC7 Chicago. Both districts confirmed they are investigating the alleged incident. District 202 Superintendent Dr. Marcus Campbell and District 203 Superintendent Dr. Peter Tragos said in the statement that standing against racism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination is central to the missions of both districts.
Districts Pledge Accountability
The joint statement said the districts have a responsibility to uphold their values through actions and to teach students to do the same. Every student, the statement said, deserves respect and dignity in classrooms, in the stands, and wherever students represent their schools.
The game drew a crowd ABC7 reported at 27,000 fans, filling the brand-new $870 million stadium in the north suburbs for its high school football debut. Advance ticket sales for the rivalry had already topped 19,000 within days, prompting officials to open upper-bowl seating, according to Sports Illustrated. The stadium's debut as a high school venue was part of an arrangement Hoodline first detailed in May, when Northwestern agreed to host local rivalry games rent-free as a soft launch to test security, traffic, and crowd protocols ahead of larger commercial events.
A Century-Old Rivalry, Two Very Different Districts
The Evanston-New Trier football rivalry dates back to 1913, making it one of the oldest public high school athletic matchups in Illinois, according to New Trier News. The two districts, however, serve markedly different communities. Evanston Township High School District 202 enrolls a racially diverse student body that is 44.4% White, 24.0% Black, 20.2% Hispanic, 6.4% multiracial, and 4.5% Asian, according to federal data cited by Ballotpedia for the 2023-2024 school year.
New Trier Township High School District 203, which serves Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, and Northfield, reported a student population that is 74.6% White, 10.1% Asian, 7.9% Hispanic, 5.5% multiracial, and 0.8% Black over the same period, per Ballotpedia. Census Bureau survey data compiled by Census Reporter puts District 203's median household income at $215,799, compared with Cook County's overall median of $83,498.
What Happens Next Under State Athletic Rules
The Illinois High School Association has maintained a Hate Speech and Harassment Policy since 2020 that explicitly bars verbal or physical conduct targeting race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or disability during interscholastic events, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Under IHSA unsportsmanlike conduct rules, verified hate speech or harassment by contest participants carries an immediate ejection, a mandatory suspension for the next game, and a required Special Report Form filed within 48 hours — an ejection that cannot be appealed.
Gameday guidelines for the Oct. 16 game had called for separated spectator entry gates and designated student sections, placing ETHS students at Gate 4 and New Trier students at Gate 2, according to event materials. As of ABC7's report, no further information was available on the specifics of what was said, who was responsible, or what disciplinary steps might follow.
