William of the White Hand
Junior News Editor
3
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/8119938.htm
GHSA tournament director sent home over slur
Macon mayor calls for Goldston's resignation
By Brian Murphy
Telegraph Staff Writer
John Goldston drove to the Macon Coliseum Friday afternoon, prepared to serve as director of the Georgia High School Association state basketball tournament as he had done for the past 43 years.
When the 81-year-old retiree arrived, however, he found himself in the middle of a controversy created by his calling Macon a "n----- town" at the team check-in table on the aren
's concourse before Thursday's Class AA semifinal session.
Goldston was overheard using the phrase twice by Macon Telegraph reporter Josh Kendall. He then repeated the word another time later
Thu
rsday to other people at the Coliseum.
Macon Mayor Jack Ellis called for Golds
ton's resignation during a hastily called afternoon news conference at the Coliseum. GHSA official Earl Etheridge then asked Goldston, who heard much of the press conference from the back of the lobby, to leave the arena.
Goldston, who admitted Thursday night that he should not have used the language, reiterated that stance on Friday.
"It was my fault. I used the n-word. That's bad, but I didn't use any derogatory remarks about any blacks," he said.
Etheridge, who is a member of the GHSA executive committee, said he was told to handle the situation by GHSA Executive Director Ralph Swearngin, who was in Gwinnett County for Friday's Class AAAAA and AAAA finals. Etheridge,
who apologized for the GHSA during the press conference, assumed Goldston's duties on Friday, then sought to shift the focus from the controversy to the games.
Four Class AAA semifinals
were
played Frid
ay and six state championship games will be played today. Swearngin will be on hand for today's games.
"It's
obvious to say we would not look at all positively on anybody in any context using a racial slur," Swearngin said when contacted Thursday night about Goldston's comment.
Said Etheridge: "The important thing is that the games be played and everybody go on about their business of playing."
He said the city and GHSA would need to meet after the tournament's conclusion to discuss the situation.
"When this is over, we need to sit down and mend fences to make sure that the tournament comes back here," Etheridge said. "We need to make sure that we do everything we can do to keep things as they are. And I'm sure it
will be."
His comments came hours after Ellis was highly critical of Goldston at his press conference.
"He should be ashamed of himself. I hope that his status is no
t in thi
s building," El
lis said. "I hope he's even left our town."
Goldston fired back at the mayor, calling his statement "a campaign speech."
The Bonaire resident pointed to his long relationship with b
lack workers at the Coliseum with whom, Goldston said, he has never had any problems. A few years ago he received a plaque from the Coliseum honoring his 40 years of "outstanding service." He said several workers offered him words of encouragement as he left the building.
"They said, Mr. Johnny, don't let this get you down. You're no racist," Goldston related.
Robert Johnson, a black event staffer at the Coliseum, said Goldston had given him and his family tickets for events. "He was always nice to me," said Johnson, who adde
d that he was surprised when Goldston used the word in his company.
Johnson said Goldston, in recounting the story Thursday night, called Macon a "n----- city." John
son said he
told Goldston that he should
n't use that type of language, particularly in his position.
"You've got to be mindful of what you say in public," Johnson said, adding that "there are consequences for your actions."
Word of Goldston's comments and the aftermath spread quickly at the Col
iseum. Johnson said it was "the talk of the building."
"I don't understand the comment. It was a poor choice of words," said Westover boys coach Dallis Smith, who is black. "If he would've said it was a black town, that would've been a better choice of words."
According to the 2000 census, Macon is 65.5 percent black, 35.5 percent white with the remaining 2 percent divided among Hispanics, Asians and American Indians.
Goldston sai
d he did not see the story, which did not appear in the edition of The Telegraph delivered in Bonaire, until after receiving a "congratulatory" phone call in the mor
ning. Goldston
said he received three or four calls
from people congratulating him for telling, "them like it is. There are a lot of n----- in Macon."
"He should be able to say it if he wants to. If he wants to say it, he should without any repercussions," said Bobby Glover, a 49-year old white male from Laurens County who was at the Coliseum on Friday night. "I don't think anything should've
happened. I didn't agree with the uproar. It doesn't surprise me, but I don't think anything should've been done."
But Goldston apologized for his comments more than a half dozen times during an interview Friday. He said the episode had hurt his wife, who has worked with him for the past few years during the tournament.
He said he would continue to golf and travel, but ad
ded that he is sad that his career at the Coliseum and with high school sports - he served as a game official for 35 years - may have to end this way.
"I
9;m sorry that it
happened," he said.
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/8119938.htm
GHSA tournament director sent home over slur
Macon mayor calls for Goldston's resignation
By Brian Murphy
Telegraph Staff Writer
John Goldston drove to the Macon Coliseum Friday afternoon, prepared to serve as director of the Georgia High School Association state basketball tournament as he had done for the past 43 years.
When the 81-year-old retiree arrived, however, he found himself in the middle of a controversy created by his calling Macon a "n----- town" at the team check-in table on the aren
's concourse before Thursday's Class AA semifinal session.
Goldston was overheard using the phrase twice by Macon Telegraph reporter Josh Kendall. He then repeated the word another time later
Thu
rsday to other people at the Coliseum.
Macon Mayor Jack Ellis called for Golds
ton's resignation during a hastily called afternoon news conference at the Coliseum. GHSA official Earl Etheridge then asked Goldston, who heard much of the press conference from the back of the lobby, to leave the arena.
Goldston, who admitted Thursday night that he should not have used the language, reiterated that stance on Friday.
"It was my fault. I used the n-word. That's bad, but I didn't use any derogatory remarks about any blacks," he said.
Etheridge, who is a member of the GHSA executive committee, said he was told to handle the situation by GHSA Executive Director Ralph Swearngin, who was in Gwinnett County for Friday's Class AAAAA and AAAA finals. Etheridge,
who apologized for the GHSA during the press conference, assumed Goldston's duties on Friday, then sought to shift the focus from the controversy to the games.
Four Class AAA semifinals
were
played Frid
ay and six state championship games will be played today. Swearngin will be on hand for today's games.
"It's
obvious to say we would not look at all positively on anybody in any context using a racial slur," Swearngin said when contacted Thursday night about Goldston's comment.
Said Etheridge: "The important thing is that the games be played and everybody go on about their business of playing."
He said the city and GHSA would need to meet after the tournament's conclusion to discuss the situation.
"When this is over, we need to sit down and mend fences to make sure that the tournament comes back here," Etheridge said. "We need to make sure that we do everything we can do to keep things as they are. And I'm sure it
will be."
His comments came hours after Ellis was highly critical of Goldston at his press conference.
"He should be ashamed of himself. I hope that his status is no
t in thi
s building," El
lis said. "I hope he's even left our town."
Goldston fired back at the mayor, calling his statement "a campaign speech."
The Bonaire resident pointed to his long relationship with b
lack workers at the Coliseum with whom, Goldston said, he has never had any problems. A few years ago he received a plaque from the Coliseum honoring his 40 years of "outstanding service." He said several workers offered him words of encouragement as he left the building.
"They said, Mr. Johnny, don't let this get you down. You're no racist," Goldston related.
Robert Johnson, a black event staffer at the Coliseum, said Goldston had given him and his family tickets for events. "He was always nice to me," said Johnson, who adde
d that he was surprised when Goldston used the word in his company.
Johnson said Goldston, in recounting the story Thursday night, called Macon a "n----- city." John
son said he
told Goldston that he should
n't use that type of language, particularly in his position.
"You've got to be mindful of what you say in public," Johnson said, adding that "there are consequences for your actions."
Word of Goldston's comments and the aftermath spread quickly at the Col
iseum. Johnson said it was "the talk of the building."
"I don't understand the comment. It was a poor choice of words," said Westover boys coach Dallis Smith, who is black. "If he would've said it was a black town, that would've been a better choice of words."
According to the 2000 census, Macon is 65.5 percent black, 35.5 percent white with the remaining 2 percent divided among Hispanics, Asians and American Indians.
Goldston sai
d he did not see the story, which did not appear in the edition of The Telegraph delivered in Bonaire, until after receiving a "congratulatory" phone call in the mor
ning. Goldston
said he received three or four calls
from people congratulating him for telling, "them like it is. There are a lot of n----- in Macon."
"He should be able to say it if he wants to. If he wants to say it, he should without any repercussions," said Bobby Glover, a 49-year old white male from Laurens County who was at the Coliseum on Friday night. "I don't think anything should've
happened. I didn't agree with the uproar. It doesn't surprise me, but I don't think anything should've been done."
But Goldston apologized for his comments more than a half dozen times during an interview Friday. He said the episode had hurt his wife, who has worked with him for the past few years during the tournament.
He said he would continue to golf and travel, but ad
ded that he is sad that his career at the Coliseum and with high school sports - he served as a game official for 35 years - may have to end this way.
"I
9;m sorry that it
happened," he said.
