Online trash-talking leads to students banned from Chittenden County high school basketball game
By Jack Main
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SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont (WPTZ) — One of the best home court advantages in Vermont metro basketball was taken away from students after online posts of trash-talk went too far.
Champlain Valley and Rice Memorial boys basketball were set to draw a big crowd of students to Cieplicki Court on Tuesday, to potentially see a championship preview between the RedHawks and top-seeded Green Knights. But before the last bells rang for the day, pupils and parents in both school districts were notified that students would not be allowed to attend after several trash-talking Instagram posts between the two fan bases came to light, some of them racist.
Only the junior varsity athletes from the 5:30 p.m. tip time were allowed to stay and watch their varsity teammates.
“Due to escalated and unacceptable online speech by students connected to both Rice Memorial High School and Champlain Valley Union High School, there will be no student fans permitted at tonight’s basketball game,” Rice said via a statement to its students and parents. “We take matters of student safety, dignity, and community impact seriously, and these actions do not reflect the values of respect, sportsmanship and care we strive to uphold. While the posts were made on private accounts, their impact extends beyond individuals and causes real harm to people and communities. We strongly encourage families to speak with students about responsible online behavior and the consequences of harmful language and images, even when shared digitally.
Our hope is that this moment serves as an opportunity for reflection, learning, and renewed commitment to being one community grounded in respect. Adults and families of participating athletes will be permitted to attend; however, no student fans will be allowed. Additionally, law enforcement will be present to ensure the safety of all involved.”
CVU leaders shared a similar statement, adding that the two schools will work together to ensure everyone’s safety.
Many parents who attended Tuesday’s varsity game were shocked that this kind of behavior would occur in the community. Some parents are in favor of banter, but in this instance, a line was crossed.
“Keeping the competitive nature without risk,” said Kate Merchant, a mom of Rice basketball. “You don’t need to post everything online. I think social media has led us down this path where people feel the need to say everything all the time, and that’s just not how it needs to go. Keep it light and keep it fun.”
Screenshots obtained by NBC5 show that at least one post was made under an account with CVU RedHawks branding, but the account is not associated with the district, and the name in the bio of the profile claiming to run the account is thought to be a decoy.
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