Two Miami-Dade teams faced off in soccer match. It ended with violence, anti-Semitism
Tensions bubbled Wednesday evening as two Miami-Dade private schools faced off in the boys soccer regional final, both teams vying for a spot in the state semifinals.
The game, however, ended with a 2-1 loss for Scheck Hillel Community School, a Jewish institution in Ojus — as well as violence and anti-Semitic slurs.
Though details are sparse, parents claim that students from Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School, a Catholic school in The Hammocks, chanted “Hitler was right” and that there was an scuffle that left someone with a concussion.
Videos of the brawl have been surfacing online, igniting outrage at the attack amid a rise in anti-Semitism nationwide.
A Miami-Dade police spokesperson told the Miami Herald that “it doesn’t appear” that the department responded to the scene on Wednesday. The spokesperson added that they “were looking further into it.”
In a joint statement, Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Miami, and Rabbi Ari Leubitz, the Head of School for Scheck Hillel, addressed Wednesday’s events, hoping to dispel rumors.
Rigg and Leubitz said spectators rushed onto the field after the game, and there was an “altercation” between spectators and players. One of the spectators was injured and had to receive medical attention.
On Thursday, Rigg released another statement about the allegations, writing that “both schools are still completing their initial investigation.”
The Archdiocese, Rigg said, has a zero tolerance policy for aggressive language and behavior as well as for anti-Semitism and hate. He vowed to “take appropriate action” with the students involved.
“School athletics are built upon teamwork, sportsmanship and citizenship,” Rigg said in the statement. “These same values must be upheld on and off the field/court and deep within and far beyond the classroom.”
The Florida High School Athletic Association, Rigg and Leubitz said, has been alerted about Wednesday’s incident. The Miami Herald has been unable to reach FHSAA for comment as of 6 p.m.
This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 3:28 PM.
