SAN ANTONIO — Seguin ISD administrators say two student-athletes at the high school have lost their jerseys after sharing racist posts on social media.
Even with school out for the summer, Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez said he couldn't let the incident slide.
"That is not what we're about," Gutierrez said. "80% of our students are students of color."
He didn't go into detail about the posts, only going so far as to say they included images with language that upset the community.
The posts were brought to his attention Friday evening. Over the weekend, he met with parents and high school administration. By Monday, he had made his decision.
Following the death of Houston native George Floyd in Minneapolis that have set off nationwide protests against police brutality, Gutierrez said he felt it was important to stand up against hate.
"You cannot wear a Seguin Matador jersey if you are going to be putting out offensive, racist, discriminatory material," Gutierrez said.
He said the actions of these students don't represent the district, so they won't represent the district on the court or on the field for a "significant amount of time."
"Regardless of whether it was done in jest or not, the bottom line is it was offensive," Gutierrez said. "We will not stand for that in Seguin ISD."
Gutierrez said students need to be held accountable. No matter the time of year, he said, racism will not be tolerated.
"We pride ourselves on the diversity and we celebrate the diversity that makes Seguin ISD unique," he said.
Gutierrez hopes this incident reminds other students to be mindful of what they share online. He said what they post doesn't always go away, and if it's offensive, it could ruin their chances of getting a scholarship, getting into college or getting the job they want down the road.
"Parents, please monitor their social media and talk to them about it," Gutierrez said. "Talk to them about treating everyone equally and loving everyone."