What to Know
- Philadelphia Wings public address announcer Shawny Hill has been fired for a remark about Georgia Swarm forward Lyle Thompson during a game.
- Thompson, who is from the Onondaga Reservation in central New York, said fans began to shout racially-charged remarks at him.
- Hill apologized on social media for "insensitive" words he called "poorly chosen" and "not intended as racially motivated."
A public address announcer has lost his job over a remark about a Native American player during a lacrosse game that he and the Philadelphia team called "insensitive."
The Philadelphia Wings said announcer Shawny Hill had been "permanently removed" from his role with the team and suspended from assignments at the Wells Fargo Center.
Georgia Swarm forward Lyle Thompson, of the Onondaga Reservation in central New York, said Hill said "Let's snip the pony tail" during Saturday night's game and fans then began to shout calls to "scalp" him. Hill said his words weren't "racially motivated" but reflected a lack of knowledge of heritage and history.
The team vowed diversity training for all employees to include a focus on "the Native North American roots and traditions of the sport."
Hill apologized on social media for "insensitive" words he called "poorly chosen" and "not intended as racially motivated."
"My words do not reflect my personal beliefs, but represent a lack of knowledge on heritage and history," he said, adding that he was reaching out to speak to Thompson and his brother, Miles, also on the team, "in hopes of providing a direct apology."
