Parents at John Young Middle School are demanding answers after coaches allegedly cussed out 12-year-old basketball players and removed them from the gym 45 minutes early without notifying a single parent.
The incident immediately triggered a wave of frustration, with families accusing the school’s staff and administration of fostering a hostile environment for young athletes—particularly Black boys.
The controversy unfolded after a parent, Britt Britt, publicly spoke out on social media about what happened during a 7th-grade A-team basketball practice.
She said coaches verbally attacked the players, used profanity toward them, and then kicked them out of the gym long before practice was scheduled to end.
The children reportedly had nowhere to go and no adult supervision.
“I’m 100% done with these teachers and so-called athletic directors, principals, and coaches bullying these kids,” Britt wrote.
“How do you cuss out 12-year-olds and then kick them out of the gym 45 minutes early with nowhere to go—and not one parent notified?”
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She announced she would be at the school the next morning at 7:45 a.m. to demand answers from administrators, urging other parents to join her.
“My intentions are not to cause chaos, but they have a reputation of lying or not disclosing the full truth. We need straight answers and a real plan to fix this hostile environment.”
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Following Britt’s post, multiple parents responded with stories of similar experiences.
Some described repeated instances of mistreatment, lack of communication, and disciplinary actions they believe unfairly target their children.
One parent, Cynthia Wells, said her son faced constant issues in both basketball and track during his time at John Young Middle School.
She shared that her son was suspended the day before a major track meet—after breaking the school record twice—and was replaced with an alternate.
He eventually left the school district and found success elsewhere.
“Mishawaka Schools, especially John Young Middle School, is a joke for Black kids,” she wrote.
“It’s sad it was happening in 2021–2022, and it’s sad it’s still happening in 2025.”
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Another parent, Trese Marie, described a pattern of administrators using sports to control or “humble” students.
She said coaches intentionally left her son’s name off the team list to “teach him a lesson” despite him making the A-team.
According to her, the school holds children to higher standards than the staff, who face little accountability.
“I feel like I’m fighting for my son’s life daily with him there,” she wrote.
“After three days of tryouts, they didn’t put his name on the list to humble him. How does a coach have the audacity to decide something like that?”
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Dozens of parents and community members commented in support, saying they planned to attend the meeting or wanted updates.
Many expressed frustration with what they described as a long-standing culture of bullying, disrespect, and lack of transparency among administrators and coaches.
Some said they removed their children from the school entirely, citing toxic behavior from staff.
Others said they feared their children were being unfairly targeted, especially students of color.
Several parents shared that the environment had caused severe emotional distress for their children.
One grandparent said her autistic, high-functioning grandson is bullied daily and has expressed suicidal thoughts, despite ongoing communication with counselors.
“This stops now,” Trese said.
“I will be there. I am sick of administration holding our children to higher standards than the staff. The staff is a joke. This ends today.”
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As of now, parents plan to gather at John Young Middle School to demand accountability, transparency, and immediate corrective action.
Many say they want clear explanations for why coaches allegedly cursed at children, why players were unsupervised, and why no parent communication occurred.
Community members have also called for changes within the athletic department and school administration, expressing interest in bringing in new staff who are committed to supporting—not tearing down—young athletes.
“If they need a real coach, I’m happy to step in,” one parent said.
Parents say they want more than apologies—they want structural change.
They want safe environments, fair treatment, and staff who treat students with respect, regardless of race, ability, or athletic talent.
As the meeting approaches, frustration continues to build, and the school faces pressure to address a problem parents say has been ignored for far too long.
