A football game meant to celebrate Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s homecoming weekend turned into a painful reminder of racism after five Lincoln-Way East students were caught on video making monkey noises and gestures toward H-F students in the bleachers.
The incident happened near the end of the third quarter Friday night during the varsity matchup in Flossmoor, Illinois.
Witnesses said the students ran onto a practice field next to the H-F stands and began mimicking monkeys, flapping their arms and crawling on the ground while making sounds. Police removed several people from the Lincoln-Way East student section during the game.
Homewood-Flossmoor superintendent Jennifer Norrell and principal Clinton Alexander released a joint statement saying the five students “made a very bad choice to engage in disrespectful and racist harassment” toward H-F students.
The district said it is working with Lincoln-Way East and local authorities and is considering all options to protect students in the future, including legal action.
Schools Respond as Community Demands Accountability
Lincoln-Way East confirmed the students involved are not members of the football team and issued an apology to the H-F community, calling the behavior unacceptable and stating it does not reflect the district’s expectations. School officials said the students have been identified and will face discipline under district policy, though names and specific consequences have not been released due to student privacy rules.
The Illinois High School Association also condemned the incident, with executive director Craig Anderson saying high school sports should be defined by community and camaraderie, not this kind of conduct. The IHSA said it plans to work with both schools to reach an appropriate resolution.
Parents and students who witnessed the taunting described it as deeply upsetting. One H-F parent told local reporters her children were disturbed by what they saw, while a Homewood-Flossmoor senior said he believes the students involved should face serious consequences, up to expulsion.
Social media commentator Tia Ewing shared the story with her followers, calling for meaningful accountability beyond an apology. She noted the incident happened while Homewood-Flossmoor, a majority Black school, was celebrating its homecoming, with alumni in attendance for a reunion.
Her post drew more than a hundred comments, with reactions ranging from calls for legal action to broader conversations about race and upbringing.
District 210’s next board of education meeting is scheduled for September 17, and community members say they plan to attend to push for concrete disciplinary steps. As video of the incident continues to circulate online, both districts say the investigation and disciplinary process are ongoing.
