The coaching staff of Carroll High School is the victim of a serious injustice that will scar the memories of this generation of students for years to come.
In the aftermath of confrontations between Franklin Parish High School fans and two coaches from Carroll High School, several Carroll High School coaches have been formally arrested on charges that scores of videos and eyewitness accounts do not support.
Carroll’s box office coaches apparently shouted instructions over their headsets to their sideline coaches. Those shouts included many expletives that were considered rude by some of the Franklin Parish fans who heard them but were ignored by those familiar with the locker room trash talk of athletes, coaches, and politicians.
Trash talk from coaches, drill sergeants, and those who deal with men is not for the faint-hearted.
Eventually, two coaches were escorted out of the press box by the Franklin Parish Sheriff, who reportedly yelled his own expletives at them as he pushed, touched, and nudged them through the crowd of fans.
At some point, members of the crowd jumped the coaches, and a skirmish began. One Carroll coach was pushed down as the Sheriff, and a group of spectators began wrestling and pulling the coaches.
Several of Carroll’s coaching staff members saw fellow staff members being mobbed by a sheriff and several whites. They forgot about the game rules that prohibited them from leaving the sidelines, and the school’s head coach and several others ran to defend their staff members under attack.
The Sheriff brought charges against the Carroll coaches in the aftermath, but no charges were filed against the white fans who mobbed them.
They were charged with battery against a police officer. What is that? It means that the coaches “touched” a law enforcement officer somehow. A battery is committed if another person is touched with their pinky finger. It is possible that the Sheriff was touched in the skirmish, but how did he know which hands touched him?
They were also charged with inciting a riot. What is that? Officially, inciting a riot means “to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot.”
There is no evidence that any of the Carroll coaches promoted or participated in a riot. They spoke no words to the crowd that urged them to riot, and while there was a tussle in the stands, they didn’t even have a fight, let alone a riot.
The arrest warrants are dripping with racism and abuse of power. The arrests will leave a stain on race relations for years to come.
The trash talk of the coaches fell on the wrong ears, and apologies are due, but their arrest was absolutely unnecessary,
What should have been settled discreetly has now escalated into another example of racism for this generation of students.
What was needed was an Andy Griffin and Mayberry solution. The Sheriff could have de-escalated the emotional moment, and let the LHSAA handle the penalties.
The other approach was the “Bull Conner” redneck approach, which the Sheriff chose to take.
Even though the charges are misdemeanors, the friends of the FranklinThe coaching staff of Carroll High School is the victim of a serious injustice that will scar the memories of this generation of students for years to come.
In the aftermath of confrontations between Franklin Parish High School fans and two coaches from Carroll High School, several Carroll High School coaches have been formally arrested on charges that scores of videos and eyewitness accounts do not support.
Carroll’s box office coaches apparently shouted instructions over their headsets to their sideline coaches. Those shouts included many expletives that were considered rude by some of the Franklin Parish fans who heard them but were ignored by those familiar with the locker room trash talk of athletes, coaches, and politicians.
Trash talk from coaches, drill sergeants, and those who deal with men is not for the faint-hearted.
Eventually, two coaches were escorted out of the press box by the Franklin Parish Sheriff, who reportedly yelled his own expletives at them as he pushed, touched, and nudged them through the crowd of fans.
At some point, members of the crowd jumped the coaches, and a skirmish began. One Carroll coach was pushed down as the Sheriff, and a group of spectators began wrestling and pulling the coaches.
Several of Carroll’s coaching staff members saw fellow staff members being mobbed by a sheriff and several whites. They forgot about the game rules that prohibited them from leaving the sidelines, and the school’s head coach and several others ran to defend their staff members under attack.
The Sheriff brought charges against the Carroll coaches in the aftermath, but no charges were filed against the white fans who mobbed them.
They were charged with battery against a police officer. What is that? It means that the coaches “touched” a law enforcement officer somehow. A battery is committed if another person is touched with their pinky finger. It is possible that the Sheriff was touched in the skirmish, but how did he know which hands touched him?
They were also charged with inciting a riot. What is that? Officially, inciting a riot means “to organize, promote, encourage, participate in, or carry on a riot.”
There is no evidence that any of the Carroll coaches promoted or participated in a riot. They spoke no words to the crowd that urged them to riot, and while there was a tussle in the stands, they did not start a fight; they were attacked, and one was reportedly placed in a choked hold by a white fan.
It should not be a crime to defend oneself when attacked.
The arrest warrants are dripping with racism and abuse of power. The arrests will leave a stain on race relations for years to come.
The trash talk of the coaches fell on the wrong ears, and apologies are due, but their arrest was absolutely unnecessary.
What should have been settled discreetly has now escalated into another example of racism for this generation of students.
What was needed was an Andy Griffin and Mayberry solution. The Sheriff could have de-escalated the emotional moment, and let the LHSAA handle the penalties.
The other approach was the “Bull Conner” redneck approach, which the Sheriff chose to take.
Even though the charges are misdemeanors, the friends of the Franklin Parish fans will be in the courtroom, so the coaches will probably be convicted.
There will be an appeal, and the case will drag on for months, even years, with appeals.
The lesson that students will learn from all of this won’t be on any exam, but it will be inscribed in their memories: racism still lives.
For the next 50 years, last week’s incident will be given to new law enforcement recruits as a textbook example of the wrong way to handle a situation.
The whole situation could have been handled better.
