After an investigation, Pop Warner has determined that a man affiliated with a Colorado youth soccer team did not yell racial slurs directed at the coaches and parents of a Connecticut team at a December tournament in Florida.
However, the coach has been suspended for a year due to his use of «profanity and acting in a manner that reflects negatively on Pop Warner.»
Footballs rest on the sideline before the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 27, 2016 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York.
(Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
The investigation occurred in late December after a video surfaced of a man affiliated with one of the targeted teams trainers and parents from an opposing team with what were reported as racial slurs.
YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION AFTER MAN ALLEGEDLY SHOUTING RACIAL LANGUAGES AT OPPOSING TEAM
The Pop Warner investigation determined that the coach did not use racist language, but instead used the phrase «f——- midgets,» a derogatory term used to describe little people, when referring to his own team.
«On December 28, 2022, a review committee of three independent Pop Warner deputy regional directors held a hearing to review the allegations against a Colorado assistant coach accused of using racial slurs in a verbal altercation with coaches and connecticut parents«Pop Warner said in an official statement sent to Fox News. «Upon reviewing the video and listening to the audio of the conversation, it was discovered that no racist language had been used.
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Players line up during Dorchester Eagles Pop Warner football team practice in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, MA on November 27, 2021. Coaches Tony Hurston and Terry Cousin have led the Eagles to a berth in the annual championship Pop Warner’s Super Bowl.
(Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
«The coach did not use the ‘N’ word, as had been alleged. The review found that the coach said the other team would have been beaten by «a bunch of fucking midgets‘» if the game had been umpired differently. He used the word «midgets» to describe his own small team. The panel found that the coach violated Pop Warner’s rule S10 and S20 by using profanity and acting in a manner that reflects negatively on Pop. Warner, and issued a one-year suspension, effective January 1, 2023.
The video was taken after Division II, U12 quarterfinal match between the Hamden Hurricanes and the Highlands Ranch Mountain Lions in early December.
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In the video, obtained by TMZ Sports, a man can be heard screaming as Hurricane staff members try to get away.
Pop Warner youth helmet.
(Mel Levine/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Pop Warner condemned the behavior in the video upon its release.
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«One thing is clear: the abhorrent conduct and language displayed in this video is unacceptable. Our organization is committed to a safe, inclusive, and positive environment for all young people and their families. No one should face this type of behavior. We will take all the necessary measures to deal with the situation».