Alleged Racial Slur Incident in Coeur d’Alene Causes National Outrage
By Sarah Clendenon • March 27, 2024The University of Utah women’s basketball team played in Spokane this past weekend as part of the 2024 NCAA Collegiate Basketball Tournament. The team stayed across the state line at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, and initially spent their down time in Idaho.
On Thursday evening, March 21, the team went to dinner at Crafted, a restaurant in downtown Coeur d’Alene. While walking into Crafted, it is alleged by Robert Moyer that a truck drove up, revved its engine loudly, and one passenger yelled “F and N word” at members of the team. It is also alleged that after dinner, while walking out, the team experienced the same thing, but with two trucks involved the second time.
Here the Utah coach, Lynne Roberts, explains her opinion of the events.
Listen to Lynne Roberts talk about the "racial hate crimes" her Utah women's basketball team was exposed to at the NCAA Tournament, that forced them to switch hotels in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. pic.twitter.com/ZMtJLa35yf
— Dana Greene (@dana_greene) March 26, 2024
The Utah Athletic Department released this statement.
Statement from Athletics Director Mark Harlan, Deputy A.D. Charmelle Green and Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lynne Roberts. pic.twitter.com/GJbvPs9dvm
Advertisement— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) March 26, 2024
As of publishing time, no video or audio evidence of the incident has surfaced. No suspects or witnesses have been questioned by the Coeur d’Alene police.
According to this tweet, the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations put out a statement condemning the alleged incident saying,
“These acts of hate are counter to the values of most Idahoans who believe in the dignity for all persons.
This is once again a stain on our community that we have worked so hard to erase since the early days of the Aryan Nations.”
Several local and state entities spoke, wrote, and published statements condemning the alleged behavior including the Mayor of Coeur d’Alene, the Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, the Governor of Idaho, and the Idaho Legislature.
Jim Hammond, the Coeur d’Alene Mayor, gave a heartfelt apology to the women of the Utah basketball team.
Idaho’s Lieutenant Governor, Scott Bedke, issued this statement:
Idaho Governor Brad Little shared this,
Leaders from both major political parties of the Idaho Legislature issued a joint statement of condemnation saying,
“…On behalf of the Idaho Senate and House members, we are writing to express our sadness and outrage for the racist actions by individuals who are not representatives of Coeur d’Alene or Idaho, that were directed at your team while visiting for the NCAA Tournament. It is unacceptable that visitors to our State were met with hate and vitriol. The individuals who harassed, demeaned, and intimidated your players are not representative of Coeur d’Alene or Idaho’s ideals….”
Coeur d’Alene resident David Reilly spoke yesterday on KBOI telling host Nate Shelman he believes there is much more at play with this situation. He shared the interview audio and wrote on Twitter,
“Liberal groups are using the situation to divide the Conservative movement before the primary!”
Reilly’s theory is that the alleged incident of March 21, along with other alleged “hate crime behavior” in Coeur d’Alene, are part of a bigger plan to carry out a political strategy he calls, “the Gem State heist.” He compares it to the way Colorado and other states have changed from being more conservative to more liberal by design, plan, and implementation in his opinion.
In an article entitled The Racism Game, author Brian Almon says of hate crime behavior,
“…these things often turn out to be hoaxes.”
Almon goes on to cite an article Hate Crime Hoaxes Are More Common Than You Think by the Manhattan Institute,
“A 2019 article suggests that only 1 in 3 so-called hate crimes are genuine. Why? Precisely because of the response we saw this week. There are numerous organizations, in addition to the news media, that thrive on stories like this, whether true or not.”
Idaho Dispatch has been posting social media updates regarding confusion at the Coeur d’Alene press conference. With just that information being shared, feedback has come into our inbox that we, and all of Idaho, are racist.
Josh Hurwit, United States Prosecuting Attorney for the District of Idaho has not commented publicly regarding the alleged incident in Coeur d’Alene. Hurwit has traveled Idaho promoting “United Against Hate” urging local communities to report what they term, hate incidents.
@USAttyHurwit to Co-Sponsor “United Against Hate” Summit in Sandpoint @FBISaltLakeCity @DOJ_CRS #KooteaniTribeofIdaho #BonnerCountyHumanRightsTaskForce #BoundaryCountyHumanRightsTaskForcehttps://t.co/0PiLYz4dkV pic.twitter.com/RFFMBZAlVg
— U.S. Attorney's Office Idaho (@USAO_ID) November 7, 2023
Casey Whalen, North Idaho Exposed, published this recording of the 911 call.
Listed is the FULL seven-minute 911 audio call by the reporting party, Robert Moyer, identifying the situation downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on March 21, 2024, involving the University of Utah women's basketball team, citing racial discrimination and targeting.
Mr. Moyer is… https://t.co/Cp9bJgW9ku pic.twitter.com/ZoR4Z8veAK
— Casey Whalen (@casey_whalen) March 27, 2024
The City of Coeur d’Alene has thirty traffic cameras that are available for public view.
The Utah Ladies’ basketball team ended up being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on Monday with a 77-66 loss to Gonzaga in Spokane.
Feature photo is an aerial shot of Coeur d’Alene, courtesy of WorldAtlas.com
Tags: 2024 Idaho Legislature, Brad Little, Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene Mayor, Coeur d'Alene Police, Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, Idaho Legislature, Jim Hammond, Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, NCAA Collegiate Basketball Tournament, Racial Slur, Racism, Scott Bedke, University of Utah women's basketball team
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
I hope external enemies can’t see how soft weak and stupid this society has become.
Oh wait.
This whole reaction is really stupid and a big waste of time to comment. Notice this story has created more comment than almost any other Dispatch story. Elected officials are ambulance chasers.
Too bad all the real haters, trolls, and propagandists won’t wait for a time-line and proof of the charges. Remember that the truth is the real arbiter. Let’s take a breath and refrain from giving a black eye to ALL of Idaho. The march is truly on to transform this nation, and not in a good way.
I didn’t realize the Jussie Smollett syndrome was prevalent in Idaho.
I’ll take “didn’t happen” for $1000.
No, it did happen. I would like to know if it’s a false flag.
And why is the 911 caller giving a speech instead of a simple report? Why is he assuming that rednecks perpetrated the incident?
Another carefully crafted set of allegations that will inflame “progressive” voters to hate Idaho and our people. Given the well-established pattern of past race-hate hoaxes I doubt much if anything actually happened. But look at all the good Republican leaders reflexively condemning before any real proof if provided. I expect the issue to be OBE when the next global terrorist attack or serious crime committed by an illegal alien invader in the US pushes it off the front page,
You guys are posting this kind of garbage “story” just like every other rag so I’ve unsubscribed.
Bye, bye.
Read between the lines. This is just Anti-White hatred. Find the (((tribe))) member behind it.
A person says . THEY WERE MEAN, and all the kings horses and all the kings men lay down and release a sorry letter Hahaha
Whatever! It’s known in Idaho, there’s 2 groups that are hunted. And that’s Antifa & criminal Black Lives Matter Rioters ! Screw Antifa !!
Also, hey Utah , boo hoo . Stop coming here with your soft palms !
Isn’t it surprising that no video or audio of either incident has come forward and shown to the public? Everyone has a phone and nothing? People record everything, yet nothing has been produced. Doesn’t smell right at all.
Agree!!
Don’t forget the 30+ street cameras, that we know of.
The masked men in khakis that travel in a UHaul have struck again wouldn’t have anything to do with the red flag laws being implemented would it?
I find this story IMPOSSIBLE to believe. Idahoans, especially in that area of Idaho, are better behaved than has been portrayed by the media. I seriously doubt it took place as portrayed, or actually even happened at all. If anything had happened… just walk away, ignore, and get on with life. All this “noise” and over reaction is only exacerbating whatever MAY have happened.
Being a non white ,,,I will say boo hoo hoo hoo. What ever! Say what you want cause sticks and stones can break my bones and names will never harm me.
If, in fact, they were harassed, I am truly sorry. But considering everything that is happening in our once great nation, does this really deserve to be the lead story on ABC nightly news? Don’t think so.
If any of you listened to that 911 recording,I call racism on white people. He called us names,
not just one name and not just one time. So why is that ok?? Well America, It’s not ok!! Frankly, I find it appalling that anyone can call any human being horrible names. And that is accepted. WAKE UP!!! IT’S NOT OK!!
Wah wah wah. Life sks for everyone. Get the fl over yourselves.
On the 911 call, he said something like “there were people of color…that means black people” for you racist redneck hillbillies who may not have known. I’m tired of these racists looking down their white noses on their fellow Americans. He must feel so superior because his community developed over the last century to have more “people of color”. Sorry if I just see other Americans.
So… just to be clear…
1) you have no idea if it even occurred…
2) if it occurred, you have no idea if it was an Idaho resident… we’re 20 minutes from Gonzaga… the team they were here to play… in WASHINGTON.
3) if it occurred, and if it was an Idaho resident who did it, then it was a disgusting comment by one resident. Shall we sit here and list off all the disgusting acts of racism in every other state and then demand responses and apologies from everyone in the state?
So sick of this bullshit. The mayor’s comments were Cuck 101… as have been the comments from the other inbred politicians. What SHOULD have been said was:
“We have no idea if this occurred, and if it did, who it was who made the comments or if they were even from Idaho. The comments, if made, were disgusting and reflect an ignorant person… of which there are many, in every state. This in NO WAY reflects on the good people of CDA or Idaho in any way.”
End of comment.
Every virtue signaling fake pious bastard couldn’t wait to show how superior they are with their
“Outrage”…. With Smollet and all the other leftist lies we had to deal with, we have to deal with every Romney-like pos and their idiotic virtual signaling crap that only helps the left.
All heresay. So f’d up.
Imagine how dumb you would have to be to believe this story, based on one persons claim and no evidence.
First of all, the idea black people would be out of place or unwelcome in CDA is the kind of thing someone would think who knows nothing about the area, this is the Spokane metro area, there’s plenty of black people in CDA every day.
2nd imagine an incident like this happening twice in a day and not a single video or photo even though everyone films every moment of everything at all times. On the bright side, if it keeps even one more leftist zombie from moving to the area, its a positive thing
Idaho is filled with bigots and most of them are in office, the jury box, or IACI! They hate white guys in cowboy hats who try to save babies from being kidnapped by CPS. They hate anyone who wants a Constitutional Republic!
I appreciate the “just the facts” delivery of the story from both sides of the issue, non opinionated and unbiased. Also showing how quick the judgment was made with no evidence and spread like wildfire to national coverage.
Shame on the politicians who made official, public statements of apology which prematurely verify this occurrence. What has become of “critical thinking”?
Thank you Idaho D for presenting all sides of the story without personal bias.
I wish politicians could do the same so We the People can decide what is true and what is Fiction. Keep up the good work.
libbies hard at work…….nothing to see or hear. yeah, messed up.
This is an election year right?? Besides all of that, this is obviously (among other things as mentioned above) another attack on the First Amendment to the Constitution. Some women are never happy – they don’t want a man around but when they need protection they cry “FOUL!” After all these years of insisting that women are equals to men in every respect, go protect yourself!
You would think that the instant that this incident began, phone cams would be whipped into action to catch the encounter. We would see the trucks and the plate numbers and police would have data to act on…especially when the alleged 2nd truck arrived. There are enough traffic cams to track the movements of said trucks. Sorry…..but this whole story smells. Juicy Smoolay (Jussie Smollet) as Dave Chapelle calls him, has impressed upon certain people to act like entitled crybullies. They picked a Blue managed town in Idaho to execute this act, expecting political cover and theater play along.
I struggle to believe that a gaggle of college kids – all with cellphones capable of recording everything – didn’t get a single second of video or a single image of the “suspects”. You might accept, perhaps, they were just too stunned the first time and missed it – but the second time? Now with two trucks to boot???
Talk about the unbelievably precise timing, and coordination on the part of local racist rednecks to not only be in that part of town, but who also just happened to be right there when they walked in – and walked out an hour or so later. No other witnesses? No street camera footage?
Here is the bottom line. If this really occurred, the police (aided by the DBI) would have swiftly tracked these feckless phantoms down with a fully equipped SWAT team and sent them to a DEI gulag for a decade or so of intense reeducation. The fact that no one is in custody is VERY telling.
You think there will be criminal charges against any of THEM for filing a false police report if this comes back as “unfounded” or “unsubstantiated”? Not a chance. Lying is not only accepted – but encouraged these days. I mean, when you can lie about anything you’ll lie about everything.
Candidly, I think we will see more and more of these kinds of events. I wonder if any of these players has ever heard the story of the boy who cried “wolf”?
All this attention to a racial slur but cutting the nutz off a 3 year old or invading the country with fighting aged men, murderers and the mentally ill from other countries? No problem.
America is lost and Idaho is not far behind.