Two brothers, Jarreth and Josh Sterns, transferred from Midlothian High School to Waxahachie High School after facing alleged racial slurs and tensions at Midlothian. Jarreth reported that a white teammate said his ancestors bred him to be an athlete and that a cage and bananas should be used to demean black students. An investigation into undisclosed students and faculty regarding racial issues began in September at Midlothian. The athletic director said the district does not tolerate discrimination but could not provide details due to student privacy laws.
Midlothian High brothers, athletes transfer amid alleged racial tension | Midlothian Mirror
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Friday
Posted Dec 2, 2016 at 2:57 PM
Updated Dec 7, 2016 at 1:47 PM
By Marcus S. Marion | mmarion@waxahachietx.com
WAXAHACHIE - After alleged slurs that ranged from bananas in cages
and slavery, Jarreth and Josh Sterns have "had enough of that" at
Midlothian High School.
The former Panther football players transferred to Waxahachie High
School Friday after allegations of racial aspersions forced the family out
of Midlothian, according to the elder Sterns.
In itself, transferring to Waxahachie - for reasons related to a football
program or academic endeavor - would not be an issue for the brothers,
according to UIL Section 400 of the UIL Constitution Student's
Eligibility for All UIL Contests. In fact, Sect. 400 would support their
move.
According to the regulation, an individual is eligible to participate in a
varsity contest as a representative of a participant school if:
Midlothian High brothers, athletes transfer
amid alleged racial tension
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The individual is a full-time, day student in the high school the
student represents
Has been in regular attendance at the participant school since the
sixth class day of the present school year
Enrolled and in regular attendance for 15 or more calendar days
before the contest
Did not change schools for the purpose of participating in a UIL
academic contest
The Sterns' predicament, however, is a different matter.
"I was told, 'I should thank [my teammate's] ancestors because they bred
me to be an athlete' by a white [athlete]. My dad had enough of that,"
Jarreth said. "We have a little cage in our locker room and a different
student said they should put all the black people in there and throw
bananas at them. I hope they were joking and truly don't feel that way."
Sterns said the comments and slurs began earlier in the year, but the
racial divides became more commonplace since his time as a varsity
starter.
"It was there my sophomore year when I was a starter, but they weren't
open about it," Jarreth continued. "I didn't expect either of them to say
that and I was kind of surprised. You're not born with that kind of stuff,
it has to be taught at home. I kind of knew they were prejudiced but I
didn't actually expect them to say it. I'm a pretty calm young man but if
anyone with a shorter fuse heard that, there might have been some
problems."
Jarreth, the Indians' new 5-foot-10 transfer, gained 1,096 total yards
(321 pass, 773 rush) and scored 13 touchdowns (4 pass, 9 rush) last
season despite missing three games because of a season-ending
collarbone injury suffered during a game against Mansfield Lake Ridge
High School on Oct. 14. Lone Star Prospects lists Jarreth as the No. 25
dual-threat quarterback in the state.
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Josh, according to both Jarreth and Caden Sterns, a 6-foot-1 safety for
Cibolo Biron P. Steele High School and holder of No. 41 Rivals and No.
116 ESPN 300 prep rankings, may be the most talented out of the three
brothers.
Second-year Waxahachie Head Coach Jon Kitna said, though he only
knew that the Sterns' came to Waxahachie because of racially-charged
comments and the resulting tension, his only concern now is to offer an
environment of equality.
Jarreth and Josh, per MISD Athletic Director Steven Keasler, withdrew
from Midlothian High School on Wednesday - the same time the
allegations surfaced. Keasler also said the school district began
conducting an investigation involving undisclosed students or faculty
members around in September.
"There's an investigation going on, so I'm not sure a comment needs to
be made because it hasn't fully completed yet," Keasler said. "It would be
premature to do so. These are very serious [allegations], but I can't get
into who, what, when and how. I won't be able to comment on any
student discipline because it's against the law for me to do that."
He added neither he nor the school district had any reports of racism or
prejudice concerning the Sterns' or any black athlete since the original
circumstance.
According to Keasler, who declined the opportunity to elaborate on the
situation because of restrictions that fall under the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), there was an issue between two
players earlier in the year involving race that was investigated. He did
not disclose the punishment or punishments dealt by the school district
after the investigation concluded.
Doug Wendel, the head football coach and athletic coordinator at
Midlothian High School, declined to comment when contacted.
FERPA's regulations, which govern all schools that receive funds under
an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education, strictly
prohibit school officials to comment on students. According to FERPA's
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website, schools must have written permission from the parent or
eligible student to release any information from a student's education
record.
"Any situation indicating possible discrimination in MISD is not
tolerated and is handled promptly," Keasler said. "The Sterns' are good
students and great athletes and we wish them all the best. We will
continue to provide the safest environment possible for all of our
students."
![1/5/2017 Midlothian High brothers, athletes transfer amid alleged racial tension
http://www.midlothianmirror.com/sports/20161202/midlothian-high-brothers-athletes-transfer-amid-alleged-racial-tension 2/4
The individual is a full-time, day student in the high school the
student represents
Has been in regular attendance at the participant school since the
sixth class day of the present school year
Enrolled and in regular attendance for 15 or more calendar days
before the contest
Did not change schools for the purpose of participating in a UIL
academic contest
The Sterns' predicament, however, is a different matter.
"I was told, 'I should thank [my teammate's] ancestors because they bred
me to be an athlete' by a white [athlete]. My dad had enough of that,"
Jarreth said. "We have a little cage in our locker room and a different
student said they should put all the black people in there and throw
bananas at them. I hope they were joking and truly don't feel that way."
Sterns said the comments and slurs began earlier in the year, but the
racial divides became more commonplace since his time as a varsity
starter.
"It was there my sophomore year when I was a starter, but they weren't
open about it," Jarreth continued. "I didn't expect either of them to say
that and I was kind of surprised. You're not born with that kind of stuff,
it has to be taught at home. I kind of knew they were prejudiced but I
didn't actually expect them to say it. I'm a pretty calm young man but if
anyone with a shorter fuse heard that, there might have been some
problems."
Jarreth, the Indians' new 5-foot-10 transfer, gained 1,096 total yards
(321 pass, 773 rush) and scored 13 touchdowns (4 pass, 9 rush) last
season despite missing three games because of a season-ending
collarbone injury suffered during a game against Mansfield Lake Ridge
High School on Oct. 14. Lone Star Prospects lists Jarreth as the No. 25
dual-threat quarterback in the state.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)