PINOLE — Two coaches who were suspended in the wake of racist chants and taunts at a high school baseball game last month have been reinstated, according to sources in the high school baseball community and media reports.
Pinole Valley High School head coach T’won Blake and assistant coach Will Tipton were suspended by the West Contra Costa County Unified School District after chants of “Baljeet, Baljeet, Baljeet,” broke out during the Spartans’ game against Albany High School on April 23. Later, somebody yelled, “PF Chang, is that you? I thought that was you baby Shohei (Ohtani).”
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Both instances were caught on video by Eugene Lee, a parent of an Albany High player. The chant were seen by some as derisive to South and East Asian players.
A message left with Pinole Valley Principal Todd Irving was not returned immediately. Blake and Tipton could not be reached for comment.
In a statement published by the Richmond Standard, the district said Blake and Tipton did nothing inappropriate in how they responded to the incident once they were made aware of it. The statement said an athletic director will be on site for all remaining Pinole Valley games, along with a school administrator.
It also said the investigation did not determine whether players and/or fans made the comments.
The district in the statement called the behavior “unacceptable” and said it “does not reflect the values of our district, our schools, or our athletic programs.”
Lee did not comment on the decision by the district to reinstate the two coaches. He previously said he believed Blake was being scapegoated but that the coach “missed an opportunity to take action.” In those earlier comments, he expressed his belief that the district should’ve ended Pinole Valley’s season to send a more powerful message.
The players on the team were required by the school to complete a sportsmanship certification class.
“The coaches being the only one punished was unfair, and they were treated badly by (the district),” Anatalio Ubalde wrote in an email. Ubalde’s son plays for El Cerrito High School. In a game against that school, video captured a pitcher directing a verbal assault at an Asian player.
“The Pinole Valley baseball team should have faced accountability for their actions this season,” Ubalde wrote. “Consequences after the season is like giving high school detention to a student after they graduate. It just won’t matter.”
The decision by the district will let the two coaches direct their team in the North Coast section playoffs when they begin next week. The Spartans (11-11-1, 10-1) won the Tri-County League’s Rock Division.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.