Saugus Youth Football Game Canceled After Parents Fight in Stands

By Jordan Pagkalinawan

A youth football game at Saugus High School was canceled Sunday after a fight between parents in the stands. The altercation occurred between “five and six adults” and left one woman injured, according to Boston.com.

Video shared with NBC10 Boston showed the fight and its aftermath. One parent, Chukuma Haluwah, said he was attacked for cheering too loudly.

“I feel like this is happening, because my boys—they’re half-Black, to be honest, I’m not going to beat around the bush—I’m being profiled, that’s flat out what it is,” Haluwah told NBC. “Other parents [are] in the stands cheering, there’s no problems.”

“What’s more upsetting is, I did not do anything, and the police came running to arrest me,” he added.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Saugus Youth Football and Cheer (SYFC) apologized to athletes and families for the “great disappointments of the day.”

“Youth sports is a place for children to learn, gain confidence, and find a love for playing the game,” SYFC said. “It is in moments like this that we can reflect on our purpose as guardians and mentors and take the time to teach our children that the actions of today are not the norm and negatively [affects] everyone involved; most primarily the children.”

“Our team will look for ways to help improve the game day atmosphere, experience, and safety,” they added.

The two teams, Saugus and Salem, play in the New England Commonwealth Youth Football League (NECYFC), and were in week five of an eight-week schedule. SYFC says they are working to reschedule the canceled games with the NECYFC board.

Those involved in the fight left the scene and no arrests were made.