Minnesota boys basketball team refused to play opposing coach who used racial slur

A Minnesota high school boys basketball team refused to play its opponent after the opposing head coach was reinstated from suspension for using a racial slur while speaking to his team.

Eden Prairie head coach David Flom was reinstated after a December suspension and the North St. Paul players decided unanimously to no play against Flom’s team last Friday.

A recent story from AOL.com detailed North St. Paul’s reasoning for not playing against Eden Prairie. Below is an excerpt from the AOL.com story.

Head coach Cornelius Gilleylen said it was the players who led the meeting that resulted in the consensus. “They just came to a united decision, a united front,” Gilleylen said on The Morning News With Vineeta Sawkar.

“The issue came up with the players in a sense of being in an uncomfortable situation, an uncomfortable environment, and just coming together having a conversation about everything that has happened over the course of the week.”

Flom was suspended in December after a complaint was made against him. While the school did not confirm the nature of the complaint, a letter circulated in his support. It said the coach read a racial slur aloud during a team classroom session with players and coaches that was aimed to discuss responsible social media usage.

Eden Prairie announced Monday on Twitter that the coach had been reinstated. The district also released a statement concluding its investigation. It read, in part:

“While state law governing information about employees does not allow us to release any further information at this time, we appreciate everyone’s understanding of the importance of conducting a thorough investigation. We listened to multiple perspectives, and hope some learning comes out of this difficult time.”

Flom’s return was reportedly met with a standing ovation Tuesday, when he was introduced before his first game back, a 112-71 loss to sixth-ranked Wayzata.

To read the full story from AOL.com about the Minnesota boys basketball teams, click here.