In a shocking turn of events, an Ohio high school football coach has resigned following a disturbing display of racist and antisemitic language used by his team during a game. Tim McFarland, the coach of Brooklyn High School, and his players repeatedly called out plays using the word “Nazi” during a game against Beachwood High School, a Cleveland suburb with a population that is approximately 90% Jewish, according to a survey by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in 2011.

The offensive term was used throughout the first half of the game, causing outrage among Beachwood officials. In response, Beachwood threatened to withdraw its players from the field, prompting Brooklyn to cease using the term in the second half. However, reports indicate that several Brooklyn players continued to direct racial slurs at their opponents throughout the remainder of the game.

In light of the incident, Coach McFarland submitted his letter of resignation on Monday morning. Brooklyn Schools Superintendent Ted Caleris released a statement expressing regret and offering an apology for the "hurtful and harmful speech" that occurred during the game. He assured that such behavior would not be tolerated within the school community.

The Brooklyn High School administration is taking the matter seriously and has reached out to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Ohio for guidance and support in addressing the incident and preventing future occurrences. Superintendent Caleris hopes that utilizing the resources provided by the ADL will help in educating students about the consequences of such offensive language and fostering an inclusive and respectful environment.

Beachwood Schools Superintendent Robert Hardis issued a statement confirming the close communication between the two school districts following the incident. Hardis expressed his concerns and emphasized that this was not the first instance of antisemitic and racist speech directed at Beachwood student-athletes. He expressed hope that such incidents would be eradicated moving forward.

Notably, the statements from the school officials did not mention any disciplinary actions or consequences for the players involved in the incident. It remains unclear whether Brooklyn High School will take further measures to address the behavior of the players responsible for the offensive slurs.

The use of antisemitic language and the rise of antisemitism in the United States has become a growing concern in recent years. According to a study conducted by Tel Aviv University's Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Anti-Defamation League, incidents of antisemitism have increased by 35 percent from 2021 to 2022. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need to address and combat hate speech and discrimination in all its forms.