Major League Baseball

Black high school baseball players allege racism, hazing

Published Jan. 30, 2019 11:18 a.m. ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Two black high school baseball players are suing a Florida school district after they say coaches and administrators did nothing when they were subjected to racial taunts and hazing.

The Tampa Bay Times reports 18-year-old Jay King and 17-year-old Judah Norwood sued the Pinellas County schools last week.

The teens say their teammates at East Lake High School tried to force them to race naked with Oreo cookies wedged between their buttocks. The loser would have to eat the cookies. They refused.

They say for the rest of the season, teammates bullied them and called them a racial slur. They say an assistant coach also used the slur. Both have since transferred; Norwood quit baseball.

The district said its investigation found no wrongdoing by staff. It declined further comment.