Investigation into tortilla-throwing incident underway

State basketball champs accused of racist behavior after title matchup

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The California Interscholastic Federation is now investigating reports of racist behavior following last weekend's state high school basketball championship game.

Witnesses say the trouble started shortly after Coronado High School was declared the winner. They say Coronado's head coach screamed insults at the coach from Orange Glen High School, then the tortillas starting flying. Most of Orange Glen's student body are Latino. Most of Coronado's are white. Social media posts, which have now been taken down, showed Coronado students in the stands holding bags of tortillas.

"The tradition is, if you lose or if you beat a team, then the opposing team goes to the other team. You shake hands. you walk off the floor. You have your ceremonies and that's the way it should be. This was unacceptable. It was unnecessary and something has to be done." said a family member of one Orange Glen player.

The father of another player used it as a teaching moment.

"The hardest thing for me to do - and I'm sorry, I don't want to get emotional - is to tell my son that, you know, when he went through this, is that we have to pray for them, and, uh, through life, you're going to be called a lot of different names. You're going to go through a lot of different things in life, but the best thing you can ever do son, is to keep you head up and always love and not hate." said Mark Madore.

The superintendent of the Coronado Unified School District issued an apology. The district has not said what action it will take, but it has said it will "address all those involved, and they will be held accountable."

The CIF is also investigating the incident. It says it will review reports from both schools before deciding what action to take.