Elmont To Play Bellmore-Merrick Despite 'Racist' Incidents: Supe

ELMONT, NY — Elmont High School will continue playing sports against teams from Bellmore and Merrick, Sewanhaka Central Superintendent Regina Agrusa said Tuesday night at a board meeting.

The decision comes after parents lodged complaints about what some deemed racist behavior and harassment at games in the past few years, Agrusa said.

Agrusa said she became aware of the problem at a town hall meeting last month, "to which I am truly sorry."

The administrator also spoke to members of the faculty, coaches and students, along with leaders from the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District to fully address the community's concerns.

"'[The district] does not and will not tolerate any form of hate toward our students, " Agrusa said.

The superintendent added: "Measures will be taken to accompany our student athletes to away games to ensure that the competitions are safe for all participants" and that the code of conduct is equally enforced for all students.

Those measures will not cause the rescheduling of any games for Sewanhaka Central High School District against Bellmore, Merrick or any other teams across Nassau County this season.

"While I realize that not all people may be in favor, I do believe that this decision is in the best interest of our student athletes at this time," Agrusa said.

She remains confident that with "intentional dialogue and education," players will have competitive sports "that do not include hate and harm."