WPIAL Joins Investigation Into Claims Connellsville Students Used Racial Slurs During Game Against Penn Hills

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GREEN TREE (KDKA) -- The WPIAL board met in executive session Monday to discuss racially charged allegations by Penn Hills High School against the Connellsville High School boys' soccer team.

It happened Sept. 6, and WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley says Penn Hills immediately complained by letter.

O'Malley said of that letter, "There were racially insensitive comments being made during the boys' soccer game against Connellsville on the 6th, both on the field and coming from the student section of Connellsville in the stands."

O'Malley took the allegations to Connellsville, which questioned those involved, and told the WPIAL, "They can't substantiate it."

But he says Connellsville offered remediation.

"They came up with a plan because they recognized that there is no place for this in sport, and they are more than willing to take the extra step to make sure their kids are made aware of that," he said.

Penn Hills let the WPIAL know that is not good enough.

O'Malley says, "They just think that we as an organization should be involved. We have taken the statements from both schools. We've reviewed the report, submitted by the game officials, and then there were unsolicited, countless responses that came from people in the Connellsville community."

The WPIAL Board reviewed all the claims in executive session and then announced they will bring everyone involved in a for hearing next week. O'Malley says they typically will bring in the school principals, athletic directors, coaches, and "any anybody else who might have information that they can lend."

O'Malley says they normally leave it up to the schools to propose resolution, and its then either accepted or modified.

So far, the two schools have missed one girls' soccer and volleyball games.