Elmont parents have for months been demanding that games not be scheduled with Bellmore-Merrick schools for good reason – an unending series of racist incidents against the school’s players and cheerleaders going all the way back to February 2019.
This has included allegations of racial slurs by Bellmore-Merrick spectators, one of whom wore an afro wig to mock the black players, racial taunts involving bananas and calling girls “monkeys,” students being spat upon, refused handshakes and targeted with racial slurs.
Student spectators involved in some incidents were disciplined, and at one point, the superintendent and district athletic director from Bellmore-Merrick apologized in person to the Elmont team at their high school.
Workshops have been conducted in both school districts promoting tolerance.
But the incidents continue.
Regina Agrusa, superintendent of the Sewanhaka Central High School District, announced in March that Elmont High student-athletes would continue to play against Bellmore-Merrick schools after an on-court scuffle at a basketball game led to a Black Elmont player being ejected.
Video later showed her being struck first by a white opponent. Bellmore-Merrick suspended its player, and the Nassau County section of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association overturned the Elmont student’s suspension.
Agrusa said the district would provide new protections against “hate and harm” following parents’ complaints. She also said, “Measures will be taken to accompany our student athletes to away games to ensure that the competitions are safe for all participants,” and that the athletic code of conduct would be enforced for all students.
Did that solve the problem? No.
A month later, in April 2025, school officials reported what they said was a racially charged incident during a lacrosse game between Elmont and Bellmore-Merrick involving spectators that drew significant concern from Elmont families and district officials.
But Agrusa and the district did not report the incident to Sewanhaka residents until a July 8 school board meeting, when she addressed an Instagram post by an Elmont Memorial High School parent that questioned her integrity and accused her of covering up racist events, including the incident at the April lacrosse game.
The Instagram post pointed out that Agrusa was asked directly at the district’s May 27 board meeting whether any other racially charged exchanges had occurred since February and she said “no.”
In her statement at the July 8 meeting, Agrusa said she had known about the lacrosse game situation at the time of the May 27 board meeting but was unable to comment on it then because of privacy concerns.
“Not every incident is able to be openly discussed and shared,” she said. “The sensitivity of students involved requires our attention to detail.”
An Elmont parent took issue with this in the public comment portion of the meeting, saying it was not acceptable that Agrusa had not mentioned the April incident when questioned.
The parent was correct. Argusa falsely claiming she was unaware of any additional incidents is unacceptable.
So is the failure of Agrusa and the Sewanhaka board to bar games played between Elmont and Bellmore-Merrick – through no fault of of Elmont.
The Sewanhaka district consists of five high schools – Elmont, New Hyde Park, Franklin Square, Floral Park and Sewanhaka. It should not subject players, cheerleaders or parents from any of its schools to further abuse from Bellemore-Merrick players and spectators.
Bellemore-Merrick players’ and spectators’ actions are disgraceful and are a stain on those two communities.
That is the easy answer.
The next question is what to do with the three high schools in the Bellmore-Merrick district. The school district and coaches appear to have made a sincere effort to stop the racist behavior.
But that has not fixed the problem.
Should the district’s teams forfeit games when their players or fans act in this fashion? We think so. Should a team or teams’ season be canceled if hate incidents continue? Probably.
We wonder where the Nassau County section of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has been? This organization is supposed to ensure fair play, coordinate schedules, and uphold NYSPHSAA standards across a broad range of sports. The association should get started with Bellemore-Merrick right now.
Spectators and players who engage in hate activities should also be treated more harshly. Now would seem to be the time for the Nassau County district attorney to investigate whether Bellmore-Merrick players and spectators are in violation of any hate-crime statutes.
We also believe state, county, town, and local officials ought to investigate the cause of these incidents and determine how to prevent them from happening again.
Another question that needs to be answered is where the Bellmore-Merrick parents have been during these incidents? Why haven’t they intervened more forcefully?
There has been a large increase in hate crimes in recent years across Nassau County and the United States.
In a trifecta of hate in late June, two swastikas were found in the bathroom at Point Lookout near the Town of Hempstead 9/11 Memorial and one was found in Rath Park’s Little League dugout alongside an “N-word” and a “C-word” over a 48-period.
We need everyone to make it clear that this is not acceptable anywhere, anytime.
Until then, we need to do more to keep the Elmont High School students safe.
