A North Carolina high school soccer team has ended its season early after a video showed players cheering in response to a racist chant on their bus. The footage spread online following the team’s loss to a rival school, prompting condemnation from school officials and criticism from viewers.
The video, shared on X by @LongTimeHistory, shows someone calling out, “Make noise if you hate [N-words]!” Students on the bus respond with loud, sustained cheering, while some players near the front appear to exchange fist bumps.
The incident followed East Davidson High School’s October 21 match against Thomasville High School in Thomasville, North Carolina. According to MaxPreps’ match results, East Davidson lost 4–3.
Davidson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Gregg Slate condemned the behavior in a statement, saying it did not reflect the district’s values of “respect, inclusion, and responsibility.” He added that appropriate consequences would follow under district policy while student privacy would be protected, as per WXII’s coverage of the incident.
On October 28, East Davidson High School announced that its varsity soccer season would end immediately following an investigation. In a statement shared by the school, officials called the behavior unacceptable and said the decision reflected the seriousness of the situation and the need for accountability. The team’s remaining games were canceled, according to WXII’s report on the decision.
Internet Reacts To North Carolina Soccer Players’ Racist Chant
The video sparked a wave of reactions in the comments. One commenter wrote, “All my white life I’ve never been this obsessed with black people. White people are getting very weird. Disappointing!” Another said, “And if my child was one of those that participated or didn’t stand up and say something. They would’ve gotten a good’ol fashion *expletive* whooping. Racism starts at home. Children don’t come out hating. Shame on their parents. These boys need to be held accountable.”
Others connected the incident to the broader political climate. One person wrote, “If every seat flips blue there needs to be deprogramming classes in schools because this adhoc racism is a direct result of MAGA.” Another commenter called for the school to face consequences, writing, “That’s a ‘school’ that either 1) needs to be put out of business or 2) rename itself to Donald Trump High in order to align their name with their racist ideologies.”
A final commenter argued that the players should face a longer suspension, writing, “they need to be suspended for the rst of the year! why? Racist Hate Speech is a chargable offense.”
The district has not publicly identified the students involved or disclosed individual disciplinary measures. The Davidson County NAACP also expressed concern over the incident and its impact on students and families, according to the same WXII report.
