Imagine being in an undefeated football team and hearing your team has been disqualified right before playoffs are set to begin. That's what the Reisterstown Mustangs suffered on October 28, when Maryland's Carroll County Football League gave the team notice of the decision.
According to The Baltimore Sun, the Reisterstown Mustangs Youth Football organization claim the league didn't warn them about the move and also failed to provide them with a reason for the cut. Parents of the Mustangs believe racism is behind the decision.
“It was devastating,” said Kristina Ramsey-Allen, the mother of two sons who play with the Mustangs. “It was devastating for coaches, but more so the kids. The kids don’t understand it; they still don’t understand it. We tried to explain it, but what is there to explain? We haven’t even been given a reason to explain to them.”
Marquita Melvin, president of the Reisterstown Mustangs, claims her "predominantly Black" team was subjected to racial slurs while playing on the field during the season.
“There was an email sent to us at 9 p.m. [Saturday] saying we were no longer a part of the Carroll County Football League, and our children were not eligible to participate in post-season activities such as playoffs," Melvin told FOX 45 News. "I believe it is the racial makeup of our program because we don’t look like other programs in the league, and we are treated differently. When you don’t give us a reason, the only thing it has to do with the makeup of our organization, because our organization is predominantly Black, from top to bottom."
Carroll County Recreation and Parks were also made aware of the league's decision but said the department was not included in the decision-making process.
The Carroll County Football League released a statement saying the Mustangs were cut due to having been admitted to the league on a "probationary basis."
"The Reisterstown program was admitted to the league this year on a probationary basis with a decision regarding their ongoing status to be made by the members at the conclusion of the season," the league's statement read. "Per the league's by-laws, new organizations can be barred from further participation at the discretion of the Board of Directors, and this action can be taken at any time. There have been several behavioral concerns involving this program during the season, and tension related to how these occurrences were handled has been rising. Emotions tend to run high during playoffs; therefore, the league elected not to risk the safety of the participants, and in an attempt to promote a safe conclusion to the season, the league’s programs voted to remove the Reisterstown program at the end of the regular season and prior to the playoffs."
Now, check these out:
Australian Football Players Wore Blackface In Not 'Intended To Be Racist' Venus And Serena Costumes
English Soccer Player Refuses To Allow His Family To Attend His First World Cup Over Fears Of Racism
