As we reported earlier, last week a football player from McClymonds High School in Oakland reported that he had been subjected to racial taunting from adult fans during a game in Ferndale. The administration at Ferndale High is conducting an investigation, and we have been attempting to get to the bottom of what happened.
This morning, KSLG’s John Matthews spoke with Mike Martin, one of the Ferndale superfans who regularly roam the sidelines shouting encouragement at the Wildcats or heaping approbation on their opponents. Martin says he was present throughout the encounter, and maintains that no Ferndale fan said anything racist. Rather, Martin alleged, the student invented the idea that he was a victim of racist bullying to cover for the fact that he grew angry after missing a play.
Matthews will speak with Stephen Walters, grandfather of the McClymonds student, tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. That’s on KSLG — 94.1 FM, streaming online at kslg.com. Walters wrote a condemnatory letter to the Ferndale Enterprise after the incident.
UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: Via the Ferndale Enterprise, we understand that Ferndale High is not, in fact, conducting an investigation of this matter. So our man Tag Wotherspoon appears to have been mistaken yesterday.
Audio of Matthews’ interview with Mike Martin follows:
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