A Kansas mother is speaking out against youth football officials after her Black middle school son, Deshaun, was reportedly suspended for the remainder of the season following an on-field confrontation. Tytianna Colbert alleges her son was unfairly targeted after an opposing player used a racial slur, sparking outrage over how the incident was handled. According to The Nerd Stash, the family initially believed the penalty applied only to the rest of that game, but later learned it would extend through the entire season.
In a video shared on TikTok by Meik McClinton (@queenalexandra2u), parents and coaches voiced their objections to the suspension. One woman pleaded with officials to leave the upset children alone, saying, “Don’t intimidate our children. You already ruined their day.” She later explained why the adults were so upset: “We’re not aggressive. We’re heartbroken. We’re hurt that you upheld a decision that was completely wrong after reviewing a video showing that that child did nothing wrong.”
Colbert stated that her son and an opposing safety stood face-to-face after a play and that both should have received taunting penalties. She claimed that only Deshaun was ejected, while the other player received no flag. “They were looking for any reason to get him out!” she wrote in the comments. Colbert also alleged that Mustang players had been punched, kicked, racially taunted, and subjected to face-mask fouls without penalties being called.
Mother says officials stood firm on ejection even after reviewing video of the play
The woman filming remarked that the children had worked hard to reach the game and pointed out that the adults still had a chance to reverse the call before the captains took the field. She also noted that one of the men suggested the team could defeat their opponent without Deshaun.
In a comment, Colbert said that even after a director reviewed the video and questioned the ejection, officials still ruled that her son could not return. She claimed the opposing team’s head coach refused to allow him back in, despite no objection from another coach. “When we played them last, my son ran four touchdowns on them. The score was 34-0!” she added, arguing that the decision should not have been left to the opposing team.
The video sparked a wave of reactions in the comments. One viewer questioned why adults would punish a child over the alleged incident, writing, “Imagine being grown men needing to punish a child for no reason just to feel powerful! I’m so sorry.” Another commenter shared a similar personal experience: “My son went through the same thing.”
The Sunrise Optimist North Topeka league and Mustang Football team have not responded to requests for comment. Colbert and McClinton also did not provide further details on the incident.
Nonetheless, incidents of racism in youth and school sports are not uncommon. According to the NAACP, there have been numerous reports of racial harassment and race-based name-calling during high school sports across the country, including hurling racial slurs and making monkey or ape noises.
Data from the U.S. Center for SafeSport shows that 36.9% of Black athletes report experiencing racial discrimination during their athletic involvement—a rate higher than that reported by athletes of other racial backgrounds. Safety concerns at youth football games have also come to the forefront, including a recent incident in Baltimore where a 12-year-old girl was killed, and three others were wounded after gunfire erupted near a youth football event.
Published: Nov 3, 2026 06:30 am