Merritt Fans Deny Using Slur

WATONGA — The Merritt fans involved in a Saturday altercation with a Watonga Eagles player have denied using racist language to provoke him, but the Watonga administration disagrees.

Ashley Hollis and a man who gave only his first name, Nathan, identified themselves Sunday as the Oilers fans sitting directly behind the Watonga bench when the argument occurred. They denied that anyone used a racial slur toward Laron Whiteshield, the player removed from the game, and criticized Watonga players' conduct during the contest.

Hollis said the only ones who used the slur were the Watonga players themselves. "That kid (Whiteshield) that was arguing with the guy in the white hoodie was the only one using any kind of racial slurs," Hollis said. She said later that "they were all throwing out the word ... like it was ice cream on a Sunday afternoon."

But Watonga Superintendent Kyle Hilterbran said Sunday that the district is working with the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, or OSSAA, to hold the fans responsible.

"Watonga Public Schools does not condone the use of racial or derogatory terms to any of our students," Hilterbran said. "We support our coaches, we support our administration, and we've been in touch with the OSSAA to resolve this situation."

Hilterbran said he has spoken to a direct witness who corroborated the accusation against the fan.

With just minutes left in the ballgame, Whiteshield was removed for picking up his fifth personal foul. Frustrated, he sat down at the end of the Watonga bench and was soon joined by Tiffani Gallagher, wife of Watonga head coach Brandon Gallagher, who tried to calm him.

Hollis said Nathan and Whiteshield began arguing when Nathan was yelling to refs about a foul call he disagreed with. "I had said, 'That's not a foul,'" Nathan said. "He turned around and gave me a dirty look, and said '(Screw) you.'"

"All the guy in the white hoodie said was, 'Hey,' you know, 'Stop looking at me like that,'" Hollis said. Whiteshield quoted the man as saying, "Don't your sorry ass look at me like that again."

"I told him not to be looking up here and saying (stuff) like that again," Nathan said.

Whiteshield eventually became so angry that assistant coach Byron Cole muscled him into the Watonga locker room to prevent a larger brawl. After the game, Hilterbran told the Republican that Whiteshield was provoked by a slur.

"We stand by what we told you last night," Hilterbran said Sunday.

Whiteshield also agreed that the fans used a slur. Nathan and Hollis deny that they or anyone in their section ever used one.

They criticized the Watonga players for cursing and losing their tempers around the small children in the section.

"What I saw last night was the entire Watonga team being absolutely disrespectful," Nathan said. "Punching, kicking, throwing around (stuff). They were beating up the doors in the locker room, the lockers in the locker room. They were cussing out our kids, they were cussing out people in the audience."

In the second quarter, Watonga star Deondre Dunn did go to the locker room for a few minutes and could be heard hitting metallic surfaces on his way back.

"I'm very disappointed that you guys printed that I'm being racist to this kid," Nathan said later. "Everybody at that game could see how horrible these kids were acting all game."

"We're just trying to protect our kids," Hilterbran said. "An adult at a sporting event should never be trying to attack a child on the playing court."

The Republican has reached out to the OSSAA, Merritt Public Schools and Tiffani Gallagher for comment and will continue to monitor this story.