Coach Withholds Team Over Racial Safety

More than $53,000 has been raised by a Lutheran parent coalition to fund security and legal action, a sum that dwarfs the initial costs of the district’s quiet response to a forfeited football game. The funds are part of a growing dispute involving Academy District 20 in Colorado Springs, where a head football coach withheld his team over concerns of racial safety.

Air Academy High School head football coach Waymond Jackson told district leaders he would not expose his players to possible racial abuse by playing Lutheran High School of Parker. These details emerged from internal emails obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act. The school’s public announcement on Oct. 9 stated the team was forfeiting its homecoming game due to a lack of coaches. It did not mention the racism allegations against Lutheran.

Players later confirmed they supported the forfeit as a protest of alleged conduct by students and adults at Lutheran’s Sept. 24 game against Sand Creek High School. Several Sand Creek cheerleaders and their coach reported that Lutheran spectators made racist remarks and gestures. They described being called "Harriet Tubman," hearing slurs, and seeing belts whipped toward them. Jackson also cited claims from Rampart High School staff who said Lutheran participants directed slurs at Rampart families during multiple games.

In an email dated Oct. 5, Jackson wrote to a district official that his decision was about whether kids were safe, not about football. As a Black man responsible for young people in the district, he said he would not knowingly send students and families into a setting where they might face racial abuse. He stated Air Academy would not play unless the allegations were fully investigated and addressed with concrete steps to prevent a repeat.

The emails reveal a split within the district between Jackson and administrators who preferred to keep the matter low profile. Jackson criticized the district’s response, calling it a slap in the face that the district had not backed the decision not to play. He asked the district to formally support the forfeit and share it with Lutheran and the Colorado High School Activities Association. Air Academy flag football coach Barry Clark told a parent on Oct. 5 that the district would not back the school if it declined to play.

Assistant Superintendent Becky Harris sent an email stating Principal Amy Ripperger respected Jackson’s decision but directed him not to tell his staff or students. On Oct. 7, Ripperger wrote that the school had zero coaches willing to coach on Friday night. The district’s Oct. 8 statement said it had worked with both schools to hold the game by limiting visiting fans and adding security. It attributed the forfeit to individual decisions affecting coaching participation. District communications chief Mark Belcher noted that individual staff emails do not always reflect district positions and may lack context.

Jackson told The Denver Post he is not allowed to speak with the media. The Colorado High School Activities Association has found that Lutheran spectators and participants used discriminatory language and behaviors across multiple football and basketball events. The group has threatened suspension unless the school completes a corrective action plan. Lutheran executive director Dan Gehrke said the school condemns racism and will meet every requirement. He stated the school regretted that students lost the chance to compete.

Coronado High School also forfeited its game against Lutheran. Lutheran plays Montrose on Friday, marking its first game since the controversy emerged. The parent coalition’s online fundraiser aims for a $500,000 goal to cover security and legal action involving the athletic association, media outlets, and individuals who accused the school community of racism.