Police in Coeur d’Alene, a northern Idaho town that a local public advocacy organization has described as a “safe haven” for white supremacist groups, are investigating after the University of Utah’s women’s basketball coach said her team was targeted in a series of “racial hate crimes” while in town for the NCAA Tournament last week.
Mayor Jim Hammond apologized to the team at a news conference Tuesday. The apology came after Utah athletics officials said a driver revved their engine and yelled the N-word at the team, band members and cheerleaders as they went out to dinner Thursday evening. Later, as the group left the restaurant, two trucks came near them, and the drivers revved their engines and yelled the N-word in another instance.
“We condemn, in the strongest terms, those horrendous acts of hatred,” Tony Stewart, of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, said at the news conference. “If the perpetrators can be found, we call upon them to be prosecuted. There is no place in our communities or in the United States of America for such horrific acts.”
Police Chief Lee White said local law enforcement received a report about the incident the night it happened and are working with the FBI to speak with the victims and witnesses to determine which state or federal laws apply. He cited federal law, a state law against malicious harassment and a statute against disorderly conduct.
In a statement obtained by NBC News, an FBI spokesperson said, “We are aware of the incident in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and are in regular contact with local authorities. If, in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate.”
The team was in the area to take part in the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Washington, hosted by Gonzaga University, but had to stay in Idaho because of a lack of hotel space. Coach Lynne Roberts revealed the incident to reporters Monday.
“Racism…
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