Whitefish Bay residents are expressing outrage after a disturbing incident in which a white teen allegedly shouted the N-word at two Black boys riding e-bikes near the local high school football field.
The report, shared by resident Adam Vlaj in the Whitefish Bay Villages Facebook group, immediately drew widespread attention and ignited a passionate debate about racism, parenting, and accountability within the community.
According to Vlaj, the incident occurred around 5 p.m., when he was walking his dog past the high school.
From the south endzone, he heard a white middle-school-aged or early high-school-aged boy on the north side of the football field yell the slur loudly at two Black boys riding on the sidewalk.
Several other boys were in the area, some playing football, others soccer or track, making it unclear who exactly yelled the slur.
Vlaj urged parents whose children were at the field to speak with them and suggested the school review nearby security cameras if audio is available.
The post grabbed dozens of comments, many from parents who expressed both heartbreak and frustration.
Sara Walker, who called on the school to investigate, wrote,
Thank you for sharing information about this incident. If this was recorded, the school should pursue following up with those involved. After reading the other comments, I would suggest the school hold an assembly to discuss what has happened and explain why this is inappropriate behavior and share what the consequences will be as far as engaging in That type of bigotry shouldn’t be tolerated.
Sara Walker
Others pointed out that while offensive language is nothing new, the community has a responsibility to confront it directly.
Martina Been Adesokun, who said the school has already been addressing similar issues, emphasized how easily middle-school boys can be influenced.
“They may think it is funny,” she wrote, adding that slurs are embedded in some of the music and online content teens consume.
She encouraged adults to intervene when they hear such behavior:
The school has been addressing this and will continue to- one thing is for community members to say something to the kids if they hear it- middle school boys especially struggle to understand the weight that slur has. It is embedded in music they listen to and they may even have slipped into some dark corners of tik tok. Me guess is that they think it is funny- what I love about whitefish bay is that it will not let these things pass. If you hear it, chew the kids out and tell them the community expects more. Give them a really good lecture on history, how to talk to people to build bridges… make them listen and squirm! If you know their parents let them know.
Martina Been Adesokun
For some parents, the incident struck a deeply personal nerve. Shika Shawn, who is raising a Black child in Whitefish Bay, wrote,
As a parent here in Whitefish Bay raising a Black child, this is really upsetting to hear. Kids need to understand that slurs aren’t jokes; they’re hateful, hurtful, and carry real weight. I understand parents can’t watch their kids 24/7, but we do know their tendencies, and even if you don’t think your child was involved, this is still a teachable moment.
Shika Shawn
Many echoed similar concerns, arguing that the community’s reputation and inclusiveness are at stake.
Kate Krill described the behavior as “hideous” and supported both an assembly and the creation of an anonymous reporting system for abusive behavior.
Others said that such attitudes often originate at home. Rondi Bystrom wrote, “Sadly there is a chance they learned it at home.” while Kay Ehlers questioned,
What kind of families do these kids come from that make them think this is okay?
Kay Ehlers
Several commenters noted that this wasn’t an isolated incident. Jessica Reddy said she observed white boys yelling the N-word just days earlier in a nearby neighborhood.
Another resident, Erin Winston, reported hearing homophobic slurs shouted near the same field.
One commenter, Michael Pyter, made a sarcastic remark about “policing neighborhood speech,” prompting strong pushback from others.
John Wesley quickly responded:
By reading some of these comments, it’s pretty clear which household this little shit probably came from……using the N word is not neighborhood speech, and if you think it is, I would hate to hear the words you are using when you are in your home….
John Wesley
Another resident, Jennifer Cannon, told Pyter, “You should leave the Bay if that’s how you feel.”
Christine Lee summed up the stakes clearly:
Ok so why is this a big deal? Because we don’t want our kids growing up to be sucky adults.
Chrsitine Lee
We don’t want our other kids to feel shame and anger about living in this community.
We don’t want prospective homebuyers to say “no wonder they call it White Folks Bay no way and I buying here.”
And even though their behavior is odious, we don’t want the little sh*ts getting shot for saying that to the wrong person.
Ok Mikey?
Laury Corrao Veksler wrote,
I’ll say it again…. PARENTS!!! You know if your kids are
Laury Corrao Veksler
A-Holes!! Deal with them!! Change it now before it’s too late.
Despite the anger, many thanked Vlaj for speaking up. “You did a good deed by sharing this,” wrote Franny Verito, while others reiterated that such behavior has no place in Whitefish Bay.
