Hockey playoff game cancelled after racist taunts, monkey noises made toward player
A playoff game in an amateur New York hockey league has been cancelled after racist taunts were directed toward a player in a matchup between the two teams earlier this season.
Video appears to show monkey noises being made toward Roshaun Brown-Hall, an African-American player on Amherst U-18, in a game against Cheektowaga on Jan. 20, according to 2WGRZ.
The athlete’s father, Darren Brown-Hall, filed a complaint to the Western New York Amateur Hockey League.
He said there has been no disciplinary action taken. Darren Brown-Hall emailed a complaint to the WNYAHL and its president Feb. 8, according to 2WGRZ. The president, David Braunstein, said he did not receive it until Feb. 25.
According to Deadspin, Amherst players were questioned about the incident Feb. 4.
The video shows different clips of noises being made that sound like monkey noises. As Roshaun Brown-Hall and teammates talk to referees and appear to point toward players on Cheektowaga, a voice can be heard cussing at him and calling him a “monkey” just after the 2:00 mark.
The investigation has not been complete and the playoff game has been cancelled.
The WNYAHL sent notice stating “Due to an ongoing investigation by the West Section of NYSAHA, the results of which will not be determined this weekend, the 18u MOHL Playoffs are cancelled,” according to WKBW7.
Darren Brown-Hall believes this is a “stalling” tactic by the organization, he told WKBW7.
His son is a senior and is about to age out of the league.
“What it looks like to me is that they were stalling, knowing that most of the players on the teams are seniors. So after this weekends playoffs, they’re not playing anymore, the season’s over,” the father said to WKBW7. “Canceling the games is truly unfair to all the players, who played all season long and they want to play in the playoff games.”