BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — School board members of Buffalo Public Schools held a press conference Tuesday to call out Section VI and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association regarding what they allege is discriminatory treatment towards athletes in Buffalo.
Board members demanded Section VI to cancel the Amherst High School basketball game since they say the district has a player who isn’t eligible to play.
“This essence is being controlled by seven suburban districts and it’s set up to continue to perpetuate,” says Sharon Belton, a school board president of Buffalo Public Schools.
But the game continued this evening at Buffalo State University against Mckinley High School, an inner city school in Buffalo.
A senior of Mckinley High School, Tamia Gidney, says she noticed a pattern of Section VI treating school districts outside of Buffalo differently than hers.
“I’ve noticed that those schools tend to have a little more advantage, especially because we’re more of a diverse school,” says Gidney. “So those schools come and get us fouled. We easily get players taken out. It’s just a lot that usually happens.”
The school district is bringing the issue back up months after Section VI made Bennett High School forfeit several games in its 2022 season for having a player that didn’t formally transfer from their previous school.
“Our children of color are getting punished differently than the White kids,” says Edward Speidel, president of the District Parent Coordinating Council of Buffalo Public Schools. “And I don’t like to use race as a reason, but our coach got suspended and our team lost wins in football.”
Board members continue to stress that they will be taking legal action against Section VI, and the actions of Section VI show a clear difference in treatment between the suburban school districts and Buffalo Public Schools.
Meantime, students like Tamia Gidney want a level playing field.
“I just want to say if we’re going to make rules let’s make the rules fair and equal for everybody and stand on those rules,” Gidney says.
7 News reached out to both Amherst School District and Section VI.
Neither responded for an interview.
