(JTA) — A Boston-area Catholic school banned its students from attending a state semifinal basketball game in the wake of anti-Semitic chants made at a game against a predominantly Jewish public school.
Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, announced in a statement hours before its game Monday night with Cambridge Rindge and Latin that its students would not be allowed to attend, the local CBS television affiliate reported. Catholic Memorial lost to Cambridge Rindge and Latin, 77-73.
On Friday night, Catholic Memorial students shouted “You killed Jesus” during the division championship game against Newton North High School. The chants reportedly were in response to those about Catholic Memorial being an all-boys school, including “Where are your girls?” and “sausage-fest,” which conjured images of male anatomy.
Catholic Memorial’s president apologized for the chants in a statement a day after the game. Also, the school administration has launched steps “both immediate and long-term” to better educate students about intolerance, according to reports. The announcement came following meetings over the weekend, the CBS affiliate reported.
The Catholic Memorial students were reprimanded and each personally apologized to the principal and shook his hand.
Meanwhile, the superintendent of Newton North High, David Fleishman, said he also will address his students’ poor behavior.
A Newton middle school has been the target of at least three incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti since October, including one last month. Parents were not notified promptly of the first two incidents, for which the school’s principal has apologized.
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