The title of Kevin Ashley’s editorial in response to an op-ed I wrote asks this question: “Not one of them did anything wrong?”
Permit me to answer the question.
Let me begin by identifying, with precision, exactly who I was referring to using the words “not one of them did anything wrong.”
The “them” referred to are the varsity student athletes on the Coronado basketball team who worked with diligence and discipline for an entire basketball season, practiced persistently, and played their hearts out simply to earn the opportunity to play in a game that would determine who would earn recognition as CIF Basketball Champions.
Student athletes who were not given, but earned the title: CIF Champions in 2021.
Justice to what is rightfully due
Justice concerns itself with actions that people take that impact the lives, reputations, and well-being of others.
A just person gives to every other person what he or she is rightfully due. A just person does not sanction, penalize or disparage the good name and reputation of any person for something for which another person bears responsibility.
Coronado’s student athletes who earned recognition as CIF Basketball champions were treated unjustly by the superintendent and, subsequently, by the board of Trustees in a public statement that characterized “their” actions as rooted in a mindset at CHS that was racist, classist and colorist.
CIF title unjustly taken away
The championship they earned was not voided by CIF because “two uniformed and rostered” players who played no role in earning that championship acted foolishly. The CIF title Coronado’s student athletes earned was unjustly taken from them because of a media generated race hatred hoax.
A hoax that, regrettably, was fueled largely by public statements from those who should have known better than to issue a knee-jerk response rooted in thinking the worst of Coronado’s young people; blatantly false statements about students whose well-being the superintendent and Trustees are constantly reminding us they care so much about.
Determine the facts
Reasonable, prudent, sober-minded adults would have made a public commitment to determine the facts, and when those facts were established, taking action to correct those responsible.
Sanctioning or correcting those culpable is just.
Sanctioning the student athletes who earned a championship, none of whom were culpable, was and remains unjust.
Far, far more egregiously, these same adults thoughtlessly slandered young men who were not racists, as racist. This represents a grave injustice.
Right a wrong
My Op-Ed had nothing to do with “culture wars” or advancing the “needs of one demographic.”
It had everything to do with a continuing call to right a wrong, to correct an injustice perpetrated upon high school students by adults; adults so obsessed with wielding the hammer of racism at every opportunity that they see everything in life as another racist nail to be pounded into submission; those to whom race hoaxes, like “Tortilla-Gate” are designed to appeal.
As Mr. Ashley’s piece confirms, those who embrace such grave injustice remain proudly unrepentant.
Nestled in the center of Mr. Ashley’s piece was this singular speck of truth, “we all know that our players had no racist intent in their actions.”
If, as Mr. Ashley claims, “we all know” this to be true, voiding of the title and the imposition of sanctions on CHS Sports by CIF were both blatantly unjust.
Honest adults, honorable adults, courageous adults do not apologize when a grave injustice is perpetrated by adults against children, they go to work to correct it.
I’m working to convince the Trustees to correct the injustice perpetrated by their predecessors. I invite Mr. Ashley to join me in that effort.
Paul Machin is a Coronado resident and part of We the Parents Coronado.
