A Guide for Responding to School Sports-Related Bias Incidents

Has your school experienced a sports-related bias or hate incident?

Athletic directors, coaches and school administrators play vital roles in creating a sports environment where all student-athletes can feel included and thrive. Just as schools expect staff, students and their families to uphold positive community values such as respect, inclusion and equity in the classroom and other places within the school building, as well as in digital spaces, schools sometimes fall short of ensuring that these same values are upheld in sports.

Sports-based bias incidents can be carried out by spectators, including students and family members, and witnessed by others. Therefore, it is critically important to educate the entire school community to recognize and address bias. The educational process should occur throughout the school year in schoolwide discussions and pre-season team meetings.

Educators and school administrators can actively challenge bias, cultivate inclusivity and model how students can do the same.

Best Practices for Responding to Sports-Based Bias Incidents in Schools

Download the toolkit below for best practices to help educators and school administrators strengthen your responses to school-based incidents of bias and bigotry in sports. 

See also our Incident Response Guide which includes best practices and resources to turn the incidents that are most commonly reported to ADL into teachable moments.