DUNCAN, Okla_An incident
during a little league football game has left a Duncan mother furious, not just over what
happened, but how she said league officials handled her complaint. Sharicka Brackens
said her son told her an opponent called him a racial slur during a little
league football game. Her son had been sent to the sideline for shoving the boy
who allegedly made the comment. She said when she asked officials to do
something about it, they didn't even budge. Now, she is trying to figure out
why.
We talked with the
president of the little league by phone. He said he didn't know much about what
occurred but assured us that type of behavior is not condoned in their program.
He couldn't answer why the issue wasn't addressed on the field.
Brackens said
she was in the stands enjoying her 12 year old son's football game. When just
before half time, she saw her son become aggravated and officials motioning him
to get off the field.
"I saw him
shove a boy and I saw them tell him to go to the sidelines."
As soon as half
time came she went down to check on her son.
"He was
acting like he couldn't breath, like the breath was taken out of him."
Once she heard
what happened next, she understood why.
"He was
crying and he told me that someone on the field had called him an f-ing
n-word."
Words that
crushed her heart.
"It hurt
me to see him in pain over what somebody else said to him. I just feel like he
shouldn't have to deal with those issues at his age"
Brackens said
she talked to her son's coaches and the head of the league but nothing was
done. So, she said she walked across the football field and spoke with the
coach of the other team about what her son told her his player had said.
"He argued
with me. He told me that he didn't hear anything his team would never say
anything like that, it was like everybody was nonchalant about it, I even got
the comment that they're boys and boys say things like that."
Truthful or not
Brackens said a deeper investigation then, should have been done.
"I feel
like they did not handle it responsibly I feel like they did not protect my son
and we pay good money to be in that league just like everyone else and when I
have a complaint it should be handled properly and I felt like they just pushed
it to the side and nobody was really concerned about it."
Brackens said
thankfully this was her son's last football game in the little league, but said
she will continue to follow up with officials to make sure it's not taken so
lightly if it does happen again.
