A Massachusetts high school canceled the rest of its football team's season, including the annual Thanksgiving game, after a young football player's home was spray-painted with racist graffiti. Now, the FBI and Anti-Defamation League are involved, and some think the team's own players are responsible.
Lunenburg High School officials confirmed to The Huffington Post Thursday that the Lunenburg Blue Knights' final two games were forfeited after 13-year-old Isaac Phillips' house was spray-painted with a hateful message. The message, reportedly done one night last week, read "Knights don't need n***ers!" according to multiple sources. (Phillips' father is black, and his mother is white.)
Lunenburg Superintendent Loxi Jo Calmes called it "an act of hate" and said the Anti-Defamation League had been called to help students practice acceptance, the Worcester Telegram reports.
The teen's father, Anthony Phillips, has said he believes Isaac's own teammates are responsible for the hateful vandalism, the Telegram reports. Lunenberg football players have been accused of using racial slurs against rival teams on multiple occasions in the recent past.
Police and the FBI are currently investigating the matter. "We're still following a short list of leads, some of which have filtered in from the public," Lunenburg Police Department Lt. Mike Luth told HuffPost on the phone.
On Monday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick weighed in, calling the incident "disgusting" and asking people to lend support to the Phillips family.