A star Black athlete in New York has left his high school after an assistant athletic director told him he became fast by "running from police."
Tony Humphreys, a 16-year-old junior who has already committed to play baseball at Boston College, told PIX Channel 11 that the incident occurred after he joined Iona Prep's track team in the offseason.
"He comes up to me, and asked why was I doing track," Humphrey said of the assistant athletic director.
"It never hurts to gain speed," Humphrey said he responded.
"But the educator implied Humphrey was already fast enough. And he had a reason," the station reports. "Humphrey said the assistant AD said the teen 'gained that speed by running from the police.'"
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After Humphrey told his mother about the assistant athletic director's remark, they decided he would transfer from Iona Prep — a private school in New Rochelle — to a public school near their home in Cortland.
Humphrey said it wasn't the first time he experienced racism at Iona Prep.
"My freshman year, I took it up with the deans, I took it up with the higher ups, and nothing happened to the other student," he said.
On Tuesday, other students at Iona Prep staged a walkout in support of Humphrey. Iona Prep announced in a letter to parents that the assistant athletic director accused of making the remark has resigned.
Watch the station's report below.
