Evanston Township High School marching band members were allegedly targeted with racist and homophobic comments by New Trier fans during the Friday, Oct. 16, rivalry game at Ryan Field.
New Trier Township High School District 203 Superintendent Peter Tragos and Evanston Township High School District 202 Superintendent Marcus Campbell announced a joint investigation into the reports. They issued a statement Sunday, Oct. 18, as reported by The Record North Shore.
The statement was sent to all New Trier students and staff through the StudentSquare messaging platform, according to the New Trier News.
Band members were "subjected to racist and homophobic comments and other offensive behavior by New Trier fans" during the game, according to the districts' statement, as reported by ABC 7 Chicago.
"Every student deserves to be treated with respect and dignity in our classrooms, in the stands, and wherever students represent their schools," the superintendents said in the statement.
The statement did not describe the specific behavior or identify which fans were involved. The Record reported that New Trier officials did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Campbell and Tragos said both administrations are investigating the reports and pledged "appropriate action based on the findings." They said student privacy would be maintained throughout the process. The superintendents also asked anyone with firsthand knowledge to contact school leaders, according to Evanston Now.
The game drew close to 27,000 fans to the brand-new stadium, according to the Evanston Roundtable, citing a Ryan family news release. New Trier won 42-28 in the 117th meeting between the neighboring schools, a rivalry dating to 1913. The evening included performances by the ETHS band, dance and cheerleading teams.
Before the game, New Trier's own event page reminded families that "all New Trier School rules governing student behavior, including the Extracurricular Code of Conduct, will apply." The page urged adult fans to model sportsmanship and responsible behavior.
The incident is not the first allegation of racist behavior at a suburban Chicago high school sporting event in 2026. The New Trier News reported that a Loyola Academy fan shouted a racist comment at an ETHS girls basketball player in February. Lincoln-Way East students racially harassed Homewood-Flossmoor fans at a football game in September, the student paper also reported.
