Family Says Racial Slurs Went Unchecked During Six Rivers Youth Football Game

A screenshot of video footage of the October 19th Loggers v Warriors Single ‘A’ SRYF game involving youth ages 8-11 generally, was provided by a parent.

Assistant Coach for the Eureka Loggers ‘A’ team of the Six Rivers Youth Football Conference (SRYF) and family members of players say they are dismayed following a board meeting discussion about a game where use of the word “nigger” by players on the field allegedly went unchecked. 

During a game on October 19, some witnesses allege that repeated racial slurs by members of the opposing Hoopa team to biracial players on the Eureka team reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation. The Eureka player involved — also a team captain and son of the Assistant Coach — was ejected from the game. The referee’s report noted the ejection was for ‘conduct toward opponents’ but did not mention the alleged racial slurs. Although both teams were penalized for personal fouls, only the Eureka player was identified in a later report about the incident, and the infraction was later upgraded to a ‘flagrant foul’ without mention of the slur allegedly directed toward the player.

According to those we spoke with, during the earlier part of the game, a head referee directed the kids to keep playing despite being advised of the language being used by players, at one point stating to a concerned parent that the slur was not a problem so long as it was spoken “without the hard ‘r’ sound,” explained one woman who witnessed the exchange.  At another point though, after kids with the Eureka Loggers level ‘A’ Football league reported being taunted with the racial slur on the field repeatedly during the game, players were addressed directly by the head referee, said Single ‘A’ Loggers’ Assistant Coach Sarah King whose son plays for the team. She said the referee stopped play, asked all players to take a knee, and told them to ‘talk with your pads’ rather than with insults. But that didn’t stop the slurs, King alleges.

Despite the referee’s warning, parents and family members said the taunting continued, leaving some feeling that officials failed to protect the young players.

Pamela Maxwell of Eureka, a grandmother of players targeted with the slur and mother-in-law of the Assistant Coach, told us that either version of the word upset her. “You don’t use the A or the R to do anything in a sport, to belittle or hurt, or bring down or use it as an assault, insult, to get your way or to hurt another player if you’re losing, that’s not how you do it.”

“My grandson said he did not want to play anymore because nobody is helping him,” said Maxwell. She explained that according to the children, they have been targeted with the racial slur several times this season at different games.

At the resulting emergency board meeting following the incident, members and coaches briefly discussed a formal rule change addressing the use of racial slurs on the field, but no decision was made – leaving several coaches and parents feeling frustrated and unsupported by the league.

The SRYF board did not clarify the specific language of the proposed rule change in response to our email inquiry but did reaffirm their position against abusive language on the field. In a written statement, the board said, “[T]he SRYF Board of Directors do not condone the use of the ‘n’ word, hard ‘r’ or not, at any time for any reason.” They added, referring to Referee Coordinator Keith Altizer’s guidance, which was sent by email the following day, ”After the meeting concluded, steps were taken to collectively address the issue moving forward.”

Maxwell argued that the league’s response would have been stronger had the slur targeted another group. “If a white person calls a Native American person that, you’re gonna be upset, right? Or if they call you some derogatory name, you’ll be mortified,” she said. “Or if they said cracker or honky, then y’all would be upset and the bells would be ringing. But when black kids are targeted, there’s no bells, no sounds, no whistle,” Maxwell said. “It’s just ‘take it, it’s just football’.”    

Sarah King, recently elected Vice President for the Eureka Loggers ‘A’ League and mother of players targeted with the slur, expressed frustration with inaction from the SRYF Board, noting that “in no other environment can you physically attack somebody while using [a] racial slur that is not punishable… .” 

King said that while the referee initially called the penalty a personal foul during the game, the written report later classified it as a flagrant offense — an escalation she believes misrepresented what happened on the field.

Maxwell, who is adamant that “the n-word has no place in youth football,” does not dispute the ejection for a foul attributed to her grandson. Conceding that her grandson could have reacted with more restraint, she told us, “We accept [the decision],” of the board  to disqualify him. She said, “[He] broke the rules. He didn’t control himself. We get that. But what he doesn’t have to do is get back in the game and be called these names and be made to suffer and nobody does anything about it.”  

Maxwell and King both say the season has been marked by repeated incidents of verbal abuse and inconsistent officiating, culminating in the October 19 confrontation and a board meeting that left many feeling unheard. “Nobody should have to worry about what their color is when they’re playing football, or how if you like them or don’t like them if they’re playing football,” said Maxwell, adding, “[T]his is not what this is about. This is about kids interacting together, learning the sport.”

Provided by King, a screenshot of her message as Assistant Coach and Vice President of the Eureka Loggers ‘A’ League reflects concern for the unfolding rule changes scheduled for meetings in 2026, sent to the League President immediately following the SRYF board meeting of October 23, prior to the email from Altizer being circulated. 

Clarification on rules regarding name-calling or racial slurs are already on the books, King confirmed, noting that the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) does address this in its rulebook but suggested that the local conference did not have the same standards. She said, “In Six Rivers Youth Conference rules, definitely name calling is not allowed in the code of conduct, but it’s not enforced on the field when it comes to racial slurs… .” 

The slurs allegedly spoken on the field were also reported by players who were not black or bi-racial, and that the word was used with malice, according to King. “Several times, the kids came to the side of the field, saying that they are calling us the N-word, that even our kids who are not black, even our kids who are white are coming over to tell us,” she explained. 

In a follow up email sent the day after the board meeting to all coaches and league representatives, Referee Coordinator Keith Altizer’s advisory email clarified his expectations on the field. He wrote, “After last night’s board meeting I feel compelled to reiterate my feelings about the use of any racial slurs on the football field. Simply, it will not be tolerated,” he wrote. In part, his advice clarified,  “Any use of a racial slur that can be attributed to a specific player, coach, or fan, is an AUTOMATIC ejection from the game for a flagrant unsportsmanlike foul.” 

Adding a stern word of advice as to adult supervision on the field, Ref. Altizer told coaches specifically, “I expect you to have a team meeting about this with your players so they know it is unacceptable and what the ramifications will be if it is used.  We need to be communicating this to the kids from day one.” 

In response to RHBB’s questions about the incident, the SRYF board further stated, “We have and will continue to follow the zero tolerance policy,” while acknowledging that their “rulebook needs some updating of verbiage to more specifically address certain situations, and per the rulebook, the February meeting is the time for such changes/updates to be presented, and March meeting is the time for voting on such changes/updates.”

The SRYF Conference Board is expected to vote on any proposed language changes in an upcoming meeting in early 2026.