However, did they go too far at a basketball game against their rivals on Friday, Dec. 17?
At the game, which was hosted at McLean, Langley students hurled insults at McLean’s step team, shouted demeaning messages at the opposing fans, and even managed to put seventeen holes in McLean’s gym bleachers using their feet. By the end of the game, the police were involved, and one officer was even hit when a McLean student threw a water bottle across the gym.
In a school-wide address on Monday morning, Principal Matt Ragone expressed his disappointment at Langley’s behavior, saying that he “expected better,” and that “Langley should be THE model school for good and positive behavior just as we are the model academically and on the playing field.”
Mr. Ragone later addressed the abuse inflicted on the McLean step team, saying, “Their step team gets mocked by a lot of schools, not just Langley. Those girls are really courageous to get out there in front of everybody, just to be made fun of. [The principal of McLean] told me that the step team coaches have to persuade them every game to keep going.”
Mr. Ragone said he was saddened when on Friday, Langley became one of the many schools to mock the step team. “People see us [making fun of them] and think it’s a racial reaction….They accuse us of being racist. And I really don’t know what to say to that.”
To make amends, Mr. Ragone asked students to write letters of apology to McLean. Some students, such as sophomore Kate Fraser, were enthusiastic and open to the idea.
“I’m definitely going to write a letter!” she exclaimed. “I want to show McLean that we’re sorry about the jerks who destroyed their gym.”
However, her thoughts weren’t necessarily mirrored by other students – after the PA announcement on Monday morning, many mutterings of things like “I’m not going to write one!” and “Why should I? I wasn’t at the game,” could be heard.
Regardless of whether his request for apology letters will prove successful or not, Mr. Ragone wants it to be known that the behavior shown at Friday’s game will not be tolerated in the future.
“If we take the high road and show what classy, nice people we can be, then our relationship with McLean can be rebuilt. But if we act defensive and make excuses for our behavior, then we won’t be playing McLean in public anymore.”