An Evanston Township High School parent threatened legal action against New Trier High School District 203 at the board's Monday, Oct. 19, meeting. Jennifer Sadler said her daughter was among the ETHS band members targeted by alleged racist and homophobic slurs at the Oct. 16 football game at Ryan Field.
"I expect direct action, immediate action, or you can expect legal action," Sadler told the board during public comment.
Nine community members addressed the New Trier Board of Education that evening, as first reported by The Record North Shore. The annual rivalry game, the 117th meeting between the two schools at Northwestern University's new stadium, drew an estimated 27,000 ticket sales.
Board President Sally Tomlinson and Superintendent Peter Tragos opened the meeting with formal statements. Tragos said no student should leave a school event feeling their identity is in question and apologized on behalf of the community, according to The Record. He said he and ETHS Superintendent Marcus Campbell are leading a joint investigation.
The two superintendents released a joint statement on Sunday, Oct. 18, pledging a "thorough review" and "accountability for discriminatory behavior." Neither district has provided a timeline for the investigation's completion.
Tomlinson said the board's response must go beyond identifying individual students. She called on the adults at the table to accept responsibility and improve the district's efforts, The Record reported.
The allegations first surfaced through social media posts on Saturday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18. ETHS color guard members Kevin Watts and Kiro Tabor told CBS News Chicago that New Trier fans escalated from profanity to racial and anti-gay slurs directed at them before their performance. Screenshots posted online also alleged that fans told band members to "kill themselves" and that one band member was spat on, the Evanston RoundTable reported.
As we reported Oct. 19, both districts announced the joint investigation on Oct. 18.
At the board meeting, Van Gilmer, a member of the Wilmette Human Relations Commission who said he participated in sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina, told the board he was "painfully hurt" by the allegations. Bonnie Kim, who said she attended the game, called on the board to share the investigation's outcome publicly.
ETHS Director of Communications Reine Hanna told USA TODAY the district does not expect to make investigation findings or disciplinary actions public, citing student privacy. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) said it is gathering information to determine next steps, USA TODAY reported.
The incident follows a pattern across suburban Chicago this fall. The IHSA placed Lincoln-Way East High School on probation for the 2026-27 school year after students were accused of making racist gestures toward Homewood-Flossmoor fans at a September football game, ABC 7 reported. Six Lincoln-Way East students withdrew rather than face expulsion.
New Trier's investigation is ongoing. The district has not announced when it expects to share results or what disciplinary measures are under consideration.
