Colorado high school basketball coach flew Palestinian flag, refused to shake hands with Jewish school coach during game

According to CBS Colorado, on Wednesday, coaches from the Lotus School For Excellence expressed antisemitism towards the boys of the Denver Academy of Torah (DAT) and their coaches, especially by refusing to shake hands after the game.

Brandon Rattiner of the Jewish Community Relations Council told the New York Post, “I think everybody in the Jewish community is very aware that there’s been a rising tide of antisemitism since Oct. 7. And we’ve seen it in schools here and all throughout the country on many different occasions.”

Attendees at the high school game saw the Palestinian flag draped over the rafters and the Lotus coach refusing to shake hands with opposing coaches at DAT. Rattiner added, “The key issue here is when the coach refuses to engage with a Jewish coach and Jewish students simply because they are Jewish or holding them personally accountable for a conflict started, not by Israel, by the way, halfway across the world thousands and thousands of miles away. Holding Jewish people accountable for the state actions of Israel is a textbook form of antisemitism.”

The Lotus coach, who CBS Colorado identified as “Coach O,” and an assistant coach were both suspended after the game. Secondary principal of Lotus, Ermek Bakyt, said in a statement, “As a public charter school, Lotus School for Excellence (LSE) does not encourage or tolerate the display of any political or religious symbols. As a public school committed to respect, inclusion, and equity, Lotus School for Excellence does not tolerate any form of antisemitism or behavior that undermines our values.”