FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — A Thursday night high school volleyball game between Andrew Jackson and Fernandina Beach has triggered a district investigation and condemnation from the Jacksonville Branch NAACP after a parent alleged Fernandina Beach students used a Black baby doll, racial slurs and gestures to taunt the predominantly Black Jacksonville team.
The varsity match was played Thursday, Sept. 10, at Fernandina Beach High School, according to school athletic schedules.
Andrew Jackson parent Antoinette Beckton described the behavior in a Facebook post after the game, saying several Fernandina Beach students held up a Black baby doll while directing racial slurs, chants and gestures toward Jackson players. Beckton said that when a Jackson player fell and was injured, students yelled, “Oh, she’s dead!” while holding the doll upside down, laughing and making jokes.
Photos shared with the post appear to show students in the stands with a dark-skinned baby doll. The specific comments and circumstances described by Beckton have not been independently verified, and school officials have not publicly identified any students involved.
Beckton also questioned why adults at the game did not immediately intervene.
“This was NOT school spirit. This was NOT friendly rivalry. This was NOT harmless joking. THIS WAS RACIST BEHAVIOR, AND IT MUST BE ADDRESSED,” Beckton wrote.
The Nassau County School District said it became aware of “deeply troubling allegations” involving student behavior at the match and immediately opened an investigation. Administrators are reviewing available video and gathering information from students, coaches, staff and others who attended, according to the district statement.
“Racism has no place in our schools or at our athletic events, and every student-athlete and guest deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” the district said. It said it is also communicating with Duval County Public Schools and will take appropriate action based on its findings.
The Jacksonville Branch NAACP issued a strongly worded statement condemning the reported conduct and calling for a “thorough and transparent investigation.”
“No young person should ever be subjected to racial harassment while representing their school and pursuing the sport they love,” the organization said, adding that those found responsible should be held accountable.
The allegations have shifted attention from what happened on the volleyball court to what students should be able to expect in the stands: a school athletic environment free from racial harassment and intimidation.
For Beckton, the issue is bigger than one game.
“Our children deserve to compete in an environment where they are safe, respected, and treated with dignity,” she wrote. “We will not remain silent when our children are subjected to racism.”
There is definitely more to come from this incident