New Prague school board discusses inclusiveness, claims of racist behavior

New Prague High School is taking steps to address claims of racism in its district.

As 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS first reported in February, some schools have pulled out of athletic events with New Prague after players reported racist taunts from both students and adults in the crowd during games.

St. Louis Park High School previously said it wouldn’t compete against New Prague at least for the 2022 spring season.

After that, Robbinsdale High School suspended competitions “for the foreseeable future.”

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In response, the New Prague school board met Monday night, and the superintendent apologized for the actions made by community members.

“New Prague Area Schools does not and will not tolerate hate speech or racism in our schools … I apologize on behalf of the school community for what has happened. We still need to be proactive and educate to prevent further incidents,” Superintendent Tim Dittberner said.

Board members outlined three initial steps during Monday’s meeting.

First, they’re putting a committee together to assess how the district can create a more inclusive environment.

Second, more resources are being made available to staff to address and eliminate the behavior.

In addition, the district will be working with student leaders in athletics and other activities to raise awareness about their conduct.