A white player was seen covering the head of a black teammate with cotton. little league But league officials claimed Monday that the apparently “racially agnostic” optics aren’t what they seem. (See video below.)
The incident was shared on Twitter by Philip Lewis of The Huffington Post, Major League Red Sox vs Orioles Little League Classic Sunday’s game in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, home of the Little League World Series.
ESPN’s cameras focused on members of the Davenport, Iowa team ripping the padding from a giveaway toy and sticking it on the head of a black player.
“It’s just that Little Leaguers are Little Leaguers,” said one announcer.
Social media lightingUp When ComplaintLittle League International officials conducted an investigation and concluded:there was no malice”
“During the broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic, a player from the Midwest was shown wearing a stuffed animal on his head that was handed out at the game,” the official said in a statement. , after reviewing the photos, several players from the Midwest region teams were participating in this while enjoying the game.”
“Because only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the behavior may be perceived as racially insensitive,” the league said in a statement. continued. “We have spoken with the players’ mothers and coaches to assure them that there was no malice behind the actions shown during the broadcast.”
WUSA9 sports anchor Darren M. Haynes referenced the statement on Monday, but still pointed to the incident.
“To be honest, I don’t think the kids were trying to be racist,” he said. “They didn’t know what they were doing was racist. But remind them why education is the best tool to tackle racism and discrimination. So Then we won’t have to keep talking about nonsense like this on TV.”
The Huffington Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN.
The Davenport team is scheduled to play against Pearland, Texas on Tuesday night.
This article originally appeared on huff post and updated.
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