Catholic Memorial Students Chant Anti-Semitic Taunts At Game

Officials at Catholic Memorial School have apologized after some students chanted anti-Semitic taunts during a basketball game against a school with a large Jewish population.

Dozens of Catholic Memorial students attending Friday's game against Newton North High School were overheard yelling, "You killed Jesus" to Newton North fans.

Robert Leikind, regional director of the American Jewish Committee, spoke with WBUR's Newscast Unit on Saturday and called this a painful incident.

"They may not have understood what they were saying or the significance of it, and for a moment I am happy to assume that with understanding that we continue efforts to fight the ideas that underline those expressions," he said.

Catholic Memorial President Peter Folan said in a statement Saturday the school will work diligently to end what he called "abhorrent behavior."

Folan says the Catholic Memorial students were reprimanded and had to apologize to the Newton North principal after the game.

Newton Public Schools Superintendent David Fleishman said he contacted the Anti-Defamation League and that Newton students would discuss the incident on Monday.

Catholic Memorial is an all-boys college preparatory school located in West Roxbury.

With reporting from the WBUR Newsroom and The Associated Press