Penn student livestream draws outrage after racist remarks cut broadcast

Penn High School’s student livestream turned into a racial flashpoint during a boys basketball sectional matchup against South Bend Riley at Mishawaka High School, when a commentator made monkey noises and used the N-word on the air. The offensive remarks were heard during the broadcast on Friday, March 6, 2026, and the stream was cut as the incident spread quickly and drew widespread condemnation.

Penn principal Rachel Fry said the school was taking the matter very seriously, had launched an investigation, and removed the livestream recording from public access as quickly as possible. Penn-Harris-Madison superintendent Dr. Heather Short later said the district had identified the student involved and addressed the incident under the student code of conduct, but could not publicly discuss any discipline because federal student privacy laws prevented that disclosure.

The fallout moved beyond one broadcast. The South Bend NAACP said it initially believed the video might have been AI-generated, but that belief changed once Fry confirmed the recording was authentic. The organization also said PHM’s student code of conduct did not clearly address derogatory language, a gap it wants corrected with policy revisions, a task force focused on implicit bias, and a written response from the superintendent.

Those demands were pressed in public at a Penn-Harris-Madison school board meeting on March 16, where community members spoke about the livestream incident and broader concerns about racial awareness and accountability. NAACP president Trina Robinson said the group had met with PHM officials multiple times over the years about incidents involving racial discrimination in the district, and she said the organization wanted to work as a partner to drive change. On March 11, Robinson said the NAACP would seek cultural competency or sensitivity training for staff.

The pressure intensified again on March 23, when Black Lives Matter South Bend and former South Bend 2nd District Councilman Henry David Jr. called for a boycott of athletic engagements with Penn High School until the NAACP’s demands are met. They said the push was aimed at institutional accountability, not student athletes.

What happened at Mishawaka High School did more than end a stream. It exposed how quickly a school-run broadcast can damage trust when oversight fails, and it left PHM facing a blunt question from players, families, and the broader basketball community: what changes will keep this from happening again?