ATTENTION SOUTH BEND:

South Bend, IN (3-23-26) — Black Lives Matter South Bend and former 2nd District Councilman Henry Davis, Jr. are calling on the South Bend Community School Corporation to immediately suspend all athletic engagement with Penn High School until the demands put forth by the local NAACP are fully addressed and implemented.

This call to action comes amid ongoing concerns regarding the treatment of Black students and broader issues of racial equity, accountability, and safety within regional school systems.

Davis and Black Lives Matter South Bend affirm that participation in athletics cannot be separated from the broader conditions Black students face in educational environments. When those environments fail to ensure dignity, protection, and fairness, continued participation without accountability only reinforces harm.

Henry Davis, Jr., who is also the parent of a Riley High School basketball player, emphasized the urgency and moral responsibility of this moment:

“These are children. We are talking about young people who deserve to feel safe, respected, and valued every single day. As a parent, I cannot stand by and allow Black children to be treated unjustly. If we accept this kind of treatment now, especially in the current political climate, then we as a society continue failing our Black youth.”


The organizations stress that this boycott is not directed at student athletes, but rather at institutional accountability. The goal is to create meaningful pressure for systemic change and to ensure that Black students are not subjected to discriminatory or harmful conditions.

Black Lives Matter South Bend and Henry Davis, Jr. stand in solidarity with the NAACP and urge school officials, community leaders, and families to support this call for justice.

We call for the following:

An Immediate suspension of all athletic competitions between South Bend schools and Penn High School

Full adoption and implementation of NAACP demands

Transparent communication from school leadership regarding steps toward equity and accountability

Until these conditions are met, the coalition maintains that participation in athletics with Penn High School should cease.

Black Lives Matter-South Bend

From GROK AI

On March 6, 2026, during a boys high school basketball sectional playoff game between Penn High School (in Mishawaka, part of the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation) and South Bend Riley High School, a student broadcaster for Penn’s livestream allegedly made monkey sounds and used the n-word three times while a Black Riley player, Kelin Webster, was shooting free throws.

Another student on the broadcast could be heard reacting negatively to the comments, and the stream was quickly ended. A recording of the incident circulated on social media (including Facebook and YouTube clips), even after the school removed the official video.

School Response

Penn High School Principal Rachel Fry issued a statement on March 7, 2026, saying the language and behavior did not reflect the school’s values or expectations. She confirmed an investigation was underway, consequences would follow for those involved, and the district had reached out to Riley High School and South Bend Community School Corporation administrators.

Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Heather Short later apologized directly to the affected Riley student and community, calling the incident unacceptable. The school cited student privacy laws when declining to publicly name the student or detail specific discipline.

Community and Organizational Reactions

The South Bend NAACP released a statement condemning the incident and calling for:

• Clearer policies in the Penn student handbook explicitly banning derogatory language.

• A task force or public action.

• Accountability measures, such as the student writing a paper on the harm of racist language.

Black Lives Matter South Bend and local leaders (including former councilman Henry Davis Jr.) have called for South Bend schools to boycott athletic events against Penn until stronger actions are taken. Community members raised concerns at a Penn-Harris-Madison school board meeting, describing the slurs and taunts as carrying “historical wounds.”

Some local commentary noted that this was not the first reported racial incident involving Penn athletics, with alumni and residents referencing past complaints of slurs during games against South Bend teams.

Current Status (as of March 23, 2026)

The investigation appears ongoing or recently completed, with apologies issued but limited public details on the student’s punishment due to privacy rules. The incident has sparked broader discussions in the South Bend/Mishawaka area about racism in high school sports, student broadcasting oversight, and inter-district athletic relations.

No official game outcome or further disciplinary outcomes for the broadcaster have been widely reported beyond the school’s statements. Coverage has appeared in the South Bend Tribune, WNDU, WSB, ABC57, and other local outlets.

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