Beachwood deserves so much better than being recipient of abhorrent incident vs. Brooklyn | Opinion

Sep. 26—Upon every visit to Beachwood, I stop to gaze at the banners that mark its 2017 and 2018 girls track and field Division II state championship squads.

That pause is in part because it's a pleasant memory — a special group of student-athletes who were talented, kind, engaged and every bit deserving of the transcendent success they achieved.

This always brings back great #NHtrack memories

You guys want to feel old? Ran into Mia's mom at Fitch last year:

Mia is not only graduated from college, but working for Google in Atlanta now

I'm always thrilled to hear about my NH area athletes doing well post HS — warms my ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lh10YFjAxF

— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) September 1, 2022

But it's also because those banners are a microcosm of more than that.

Beachwood is one of our brightest examples in The News-Herald coverage area of beauty found within diversity, sharing a common goal across a wide range of backgrounds and aspiring together.

Thinking of those girls track and field student-athletes on those banners such as Mia Knight, Maddie Alexander, Leah Roter, Ashley Perryman and more — as well as interaction over the years with countless Bison student-athletes in soccer, swimming and diving and many more beyond the four aforementioned in track and field — hearing what Beachwood endured over the weekend made me angry.

And, in turn, eager to defend their honor, even if they may not need that assistance.

Beachwood was the target of an abhorrent incident during its Week 6 football game against visiting Brooklyn on Sept. 22.

In an email to the community obtained by local media outlets including the Cleveland Jewish News, longtime Bison athletic director Ryan Peters noted he was called to the sideline by Beachwood coach Scott Fischer before halftime.

"He informed me that Brooklyn's coaches were calling a defensive play which they named 'Nazi,'" Peters wrote. "Coach Fischer informed the game officials that this was occurring. During halftime Coach Fischer, the head coach from Brooklyn, their athletic director, the officials and I met on the field to address the matter. Their head coach admitted to using the word 'Nazi' in reference to this play and agreed to change the name of the play.

"During my discussion with Coach Fischer at halftime, we agreed that if these actions continued we would pull our team off the field. I relayed this message to the officials, as well as their athletic director. Prior to the start of the second half, the officials called the captains to the center of the field to address the matter. To our knowledge, the term 'Nazi' was not used during the second half."

Beachwood, as is widely known, is home to a prominent Jewish population. So it's at minimum difficult to surmise that fact and that term being used had no connection, prior to Yom Kippur no less.

In a separate email to the school community, Beachwood superintendent Robert Hardis stated the Brooklyn coach had apologized for the term. Peters and Hardis added "several" Brooklyn players had used a racial slur "freely throughout the night."

"Antisemitic and racist speech are unacceptable in any setting," Hardis wrote. "They are counter to the norms and expectations we teach our students.

"We are in contact with the Brooklyn Schools administration and trust they will address this situation in a manner that demonstrates accountability. They have been responsive, appropriately concerned and apologetic. We are confident that the actions of a few are not representative of Brooklyn Schools nor the Brooklyn community."

Brooklyn City Schools issued its own statement.

"We offer our sincerest apologies to the members of the Beachwood football family and school community for the hurtful, insensitive and entirely inappropriate choice of language used during the first half of this past Friday night's football game," the statement read in part.

"Our football coaching staff expressed their regret to the Beachwood football family immediately during the contest and took corrective measures in the second half, in finishing the contest. While to the knowledge of the Brooklyn City Schools, this language was not directed to any single individual, the choice in using it at all was utterly and absolutely wrong.

"Brooklyn City Schools officials are looking more closely into this matter in order to determine what steps, if any, will emerge as a result of this incident."

Sept. 25, Hurricanes coach Tim McFarland resigned.

While to its credit that's a strong response, Brooklyn won, 35-3, but lost in the process, even if it's not reflective of an entire town. The incident is the epitome of "What could someone possibly be thinking in the first place?!"

Beachwood was the most recent addition to The News-Herald coverage area in 2013. It is one of our farthest public schools geographically. In that sense, Beachwood could be classified as an outlier, although its value should remain equal to its neighbors.

The idea Beachwood would be perceived as an outlier worthy of ridicule based on its demographics should be demonized by anyone with a shred of common sense.

Beachwood's student-athletes yearn for the same goals in their respective athletic pursuits. They travel to the same places and compete for the same attainment of success. Their families wake up every day wanting nothing more than a good life and peace of mind for their children.

It should be one of those simple concepts on which agreement is universal.

Yet, as an incident like this shows, diversity in all its forms somehow translates to ridicule. It somehow means "lesser than" — even if those generalizations are total and condemnable nonsense.

It's unfathomable to think there are those out there who will dismiss this incident as part and parcel, one "not all that bad." The vast majority know better.

As the product of a diverse school and community in Harvey and Painesville, respectively — and no, it's not virtue signaling; it's the truth — you realize diversity may get you and your peers perceived as an outlier. But really, it's a badge of honor — and it shouldn't be a negative judgment.

Those who don't emanate from a similar background as yours or who don't look like you can make you more engaged with a broader understanding of society, provided you're willing.

Unfortunately, that willingness remains a challenge.

The Beachwood boys soccer side is 11-1 and was ranked No. 1 in D-III in last week's state coaches' poll. With a talented lineup led by All-Ohio central midfielder Grant Keilin, the Bison will be heard from deep into the postseason again as they look to finally break through past the elite eight.

The girls soccer side has shown signs of improvement, sitting at 6-4 with a decent attack paced by multi-sport standout Kylie Walters.

Golfer Gavi Lappen shared medalist honors in the CVC Metro Division.

The football team is battling low roster numbers as best it can and will return to the gridiron Sept. 30 against Trinity, working hard in search of its first win of the fall.

Divers such as Spencer Bystrom, Seth Warner and Amanda Leizman and swimmers such as Bagatur Askaryan, Gabe Colmenares and Sam Ornstein have taken their program to a statewide level in recent years and represented with distinction.

Track and field remains a calling card across Ohio under affable coach Willie Smith, with Knight (100-meter dash), Roter (3,200) and the boys 4×400-meter relay from 2022 of Braylen Eaton, Noah Saidel, Caleb Berns and David Steckner holding all-time News-Herald coverage area records en route to D-II state titles.

Those are a few examples across the calendar and spectrum.

Those student-athletes, their character and their success should be a focus of celebration.

Their diversity shouldn't be a target of mockery.

We cannot make progess without eliminating the disdain rooted deep yet clearly evident in some hearts.

Here's to hoping this disgusting, idiotic incident over the weekend is panned and punished to the extent it should.

Because Beachwood is among the best of us.

The point within those banners — and the core of that community, amid its beautiful tapestry of difference with connection all at once — are beyond dispute.