A Howard County mother is demanding accountability after she says her son and his teammates were subjected to racial slurs and offensive language during a junior varsity football game between Atholton and Glenelg high schools on Nov. 2. The Howard County Public School System confirmed Friday that the investigation into the allegations was still in progress, four days after the on-field confrontation left some players visibly shaken.
The mother, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation against herself and her son, told CBS News Baltimore that she and other parents noticed tension building between the two teams during the game, and that a couple of Atholton players ran off the field visibly upset. She said her son lost his temper, cried and became emotional in the aftermath. Atholton JV football coach Avery Briscoe said players should control their emotions and take it out in the context of the game, according to the same report.
Principals Confirm Investigation, Say Violations Will Be Addressed
In a note dated Nov. 4, the Atholton and Glenelg principals confirmed the investigation and said reports indicate students were subjected to repeated racial slurs and offensive language during the game, as reported by The Banner. The principals said they take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and that support is ongoing for students affected by the incident. They added that if the investigation confirms that any school system policies — including those related to bullying, hate/bias, harassment, cyberbullying and the Student Code of Conduct — were violated, those violations will be addressed under established policies and procedures.
The mother said the players on her son's team deserve a direct apology, and she believes sanctions should be imposed. She did not identify which players or coaches she believes were responsible, and the principals have not said which school's students were on the receiving end of the alleged slurs. The investigation's findings, including whether any discipline will follow, had not been made public as of Thursday.
Demographic Snapshot Adds Context
State education data cited by the same Banner report shows Glenelg High is 58% white and 6% Black, while Atholton High is 33% Black and 28% white — a demographic contrast that has shaped how the incident has been discussed locally, though it does not by itself establish what happened on the field.
Howard County Public School System policy 9460 prohibits bullying, cyberbullying, harassment — including hate and bias incidents — and intimidation connected to school activities, including on school property and at school-sponsored events, according to HCPSS Policy 9460. The policy states that schools will investigate and address reported incidents under the policy and applicable laws, and that retaliation against anyone who reports covered conduct is itself prohibited and may lead to disciplinary or legal action. Under the policy's implementation procedures, a student, a parent, an HCPSS employee, a close adult relative of a student, or a bystander can submit a reporting form when an incident is known or suspected, per the HCPSS Policy 9460 Implementation Procedures.
Part of a Wider Pattern in Howard County Schools
The Atholton-Glenelg allegations follow other recent incidents in the district. Howard High School canceled the remainder of its junior varsity football season in October after an investigation into a locker room bullying incident in which players allegedly attempted to put a teammate in a toilet. Seven Howard High JV players, aged 14 to 16, face second-degree assault charges in connection with that case, per The Banner's reporting.
Separately, a Columbia mother told WMAR-2 News that Glenelg High players used racial slurs against her daughter and Long Reach High School JV soccer teammates during a separate game at Glenelg. That same station noted that four students were charged in 2018 for spray-painting racial, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ slurs on school property, an earlier case unrelated to the current football investigation. In a separate Glenelg High hate-crime case, Joshua Shaffer was sentenced to 18 consecutive weekends of incarceration, three years of probation, alcohol screening and 250 hours of community service, CBS News Baltimore reported.
No findings have been announced in the Atholton-Glenelg football investigation, and HCPSS has not said when it expects to conclude its review. For now, the mother who spoke to CBS News Baltimore says she is still waiting for an apology and wants the district to take action.
