O-A superintendent issues apology for song with 'inappropriate language' played during game
At Wednesday's basketball game between Notre Dame and Oakfield-Alabama at O-A, a song with crude language was apparently played during a break in the action.
Videos provided to The Batavian indicate some sort of confrontation between a couple of adults who attended the game and O-A Superintendent John Fisgus. One video is blurry with no discernable audio, and the other is very short with no significant statements, so it's hard to say what happened.
A person who complained to The Batavian about the incident said the song contained racial slurs.
Fisgus issued the following letter to members of both school communities and in response to a request from The Batavian for a comment on the incident, provided it to The Batavian.
Dear Notre Dame High School and Oakfield-Alabama School Communities,
On behalf of the Oakfield-Alabama School District, I sincerely apologize for an event that occurred during the Varsity Men's Basketball game on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in our
gymnasium. After the game concluded, I was approached by some concerned parents who brought to my attention the inappropriate lyrics of a song played during the contest.Upon further investigating this situation, I confirmed that the song contained very inappropriate lyrics and language and should never have been played. Please know that this song's selection was unintentional, and I am utterly embarrassed that this occurred.
Again, my sincerest apologies to all the attendees and fans who showed up to root for their children and respective teams that evening. Our school and its environment is a place where everyone should feel respected, valued, and safe. Please know that we will have extra measures in place to prevent this situation from occurring again.
My sincerest apologies to anyone affected or hurt by these actions. We look forward to having the Notre Dame School Community at future events on our campus.
