High school football rivalry game turns ugly with allegations of gay and racial slurs
A high school football game outside Chicago turned ugly with alleged racial and gay slurs yelled by fans at the opposing marching band.
Mark
Two high schools in Illinois are reeling from a series of alleged incidents at a high school football rivalry game over the weekend with allegations of slurs of the worst kind.
Members of the Evanston Township High School marching band claim students from rival New Trier Township High School yelled racial and gay slurs — both the N-word and the F-word — during their game.
There are also claims that the New Trier students yelled suggestions of self-harm to the Evanston Township marching band.
The game took place at Northwestern University on the school’s new Ryan Field, and it was supposed to be a moment of celebration of the rivalry.
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New Trier won the game, 42-28, with players celebrating after the game, likely with no knowledge of what had transpired between fans and the opposing band.
To be clear, no public allegations have been made that any of the football players were involved. They were just excited about a big rivalry win.
It’s unfortunate some fans chose to mar the team’s win with slurs.
Evanston and New Trier parents and students speak out
On Monday, parents of students at Evanston at times got emotional in a hearing at a New Trier Township High School District 203 board meeting.
One of the students spoke to their personal experience, saying this was as bad as it gets for his experience of discriminatory language.
“I’ve experienced a lot of micro aggressions throughout my life, but I haven’t been, you know, face to face with such cruelty and just like, you know, open discrimination,” the student, Isaac Rochon said, according to ABC7.
New Trier Superintendent Peter Tragos addressed the incident directly during the meeting, offering regret.
“No student should ever attend an event for their high school and come away with feeling that their dignity is in question,” Tragos said. “And on behalf of the entire community, please accept my apology.”
Both communities are awaiting the results of investigations into the allegations that are now widely reported by game attendees and participants.
Ugly Oregon high school football pregame foul
The incident in Illinois is not the only example of horrific behavior at a high school rivalry game over the weekend.
In Oregon, a Jefferson High School player slammed into a Grant High School player as the latter ran onto the field with his team. He was carrying an American flag at the time, prompting even more backlash.
Jefferson officials have said the flag wasn’t the target of the player’s foul, though the player allegedly said in a deleted social post he “wasn’t feeling that American flag.”
NEW: Jefferson High School football player (Portland, Oregon) takes a pregame CHEAP SHOT on Grant High School opponent all because of a USA FLAG!
The player OPENLY BRAGGED about it on social media admitting to being triggered by the flag.
Jefferson lost 35-14 and is 1-6 on… pic.twitter.com/BLajemH6dm— David Medina(@davidmedinapdx) October 19, 2026
Again, both communities — and people far beyond Oregon — are waiting to see what happens here.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.
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