In Kansas, a high school basketball coach claims his players faced “racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts” from an opposing team’s spectators. As a result, Geo Lyons, the head boys basketball coach for Topeka High School, called for Valley Center High School fans to be removed from future games. Valley Center Public Schools apologized for the incident, but the coach created a petition on Change.org to call out the mistreatment of his team.
Lyons said while the boys and girls teams went through blatant racism the Valley Center administration didn’t stop the behavior at the Dec. 3 game.
This past Saturday my High schools basketball teams traveled to Valley Center, Kansas only to experience blatant racism and disrespect. Never in a million years did I think I would get called out of my name with racist slurs. Please help Topeka high bring light to this situation. pic.twitter.com/tUAZnCNoCp
— Jo’Mhara Benning (@jobenn2025) December 5, 2022
Passed Around A Naked Black Baby Doll
“Players and spectators from Topeka High were called the N-word, threatened to be lynched and at one point a Topeka High player was taunted,” Lyons said to The Kansas City Star. “The student section even passed around a naked Black baby doll and often waived to at Topeka High players.”
On the Change.org petition, Lyons laid out the entire degrading experience dished out by the student fanbase of Valley Center.
“Topeka High School(Topeka, KS) men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to Valley Center High School(Valley Center, KS) and experienced outright racism. Employees from Valley Center High School failed to protect Topeka High from racial slurs, threats, and disgusting taunts.
“Players and spectators from Topeka High were called the N-word, threatened to be lynched and at one point a Topeka High player was taunted with the chant ‘He’s a p-ssy! The student section even passed around a naked black baby doll and often waived to at Topeka High players. Valley Center admin and staff did not address any of these actions while play was taking place, although they were very aware.”
A Kansas School district is under major fire after white students at Valley Center HS launched vicious, KKK-era racist attacks against the mostly Black basketball team at Topeka High School.
— The Kansas City Defender (@KCDefender) December 6, 2022
Valley Center Faux Pas?
A Valley Center Public Schools spokesperson claims the district is working with Topeka High School administration to investigate.
“As of this morning (12/6), administration from both schools have not found any evidence that such remarks were made during or following the basketball game,” the spokesperson said in a statement to The Kansas City Star.
Valley Center Administration did admit that students from their side were involved in an “inappropriate chant” and passed around a Black baby doll. They claim that their administration “did their best to handle reported situations, particularly those involving some students in the Valley Center student section,” per the statement.
Valley Center stated that students were removed who delivered inappropriate chants and that an off-duty police officer helped everyone leave after the game ended. However, Lyons contends that the opposing team’s administration did nothing.
Topeka High School boys basketball coach Geo Lyons told The Defender he has never witnessed anything remotely close to this before and was absolutely horrified.
— The Kansas City Defender (@KCDefender) December 6, 2022
“Nobody, myself included, did anything to protect my kids, or my child for that matter,” Lyons told KSN. “It was my son who was at the free throw line when the chant ‘he’s a (expletive)’ started; the N-word was used and thrown around, you know, our kids were told they were going to be hanged. I had a down locker room, I’m talking about tears that were flowing in that locker room.”
According to the district statement, the Black baby doll was an infant simulator assigned to a student for human growth and development class.
“Based on a review of videos, the baby was passed around between students during the game,” the spokesperson continued. “While the ‘baby’ was not brought intentionally as a prop to taunt or threaten Topeka High School, without context, seeing the ‘baby’ and images of the ‘baby’ caused hurt and concern to many, and for that we are very sorry.”
Racial tensions are high in Kansas, and one coach is determined to inform the world.
