Homophobic Slur During a Competitive Team Handball Unit
During a 10th-grade team handball unit, 36 students play 6-v-6 games on two courts. The class is highly competitive; two students have exchanged shoves and insults over three lessons. Today, during a stoppage, one of them calls another student a homophobic slur loud enough for you to hear but you do not see the incident. The targeted student is openly gay and has previously told you they feel unsafe in competitive games. Your school’s code of conduct requires reporting bias incidents within 24 hours; the athletic director says “let the kids settle it.” Several students laugh. You have 20 minutes left in class and a state standards requirement for responsible personal and social behavior.
1. What immediate actions do you take in the remaining 20 minutes, and what do you document? Justify each action.
Read the worked answer
I would stop play immediately and use a neutral, firm voice: “That language is harassment and it is not allowed here.” I would separate the two students, place the student who used the slur with the co-teacher or at a supervised sideline, and check on the targeted student privately: “What do you need right now?” I would not force mediation or ask the targeted student to explain in front of the class. I would give the class a brief reset: restate the expectation for language and treat the remaining time as a controlled small-sided activity or cool-down, not a continuation of the same competitive game. Several students laughed, so I would name that as bystander behavior that also violates the class climate.
I would document the exact words heard, time, location, students present, my response, and the targeted student’s stated needs. I would report the bias incident to administration within the required 24 hours. The athletic director’s advice does not override the school code; allowing students to “settle it” would permit harassment and increase legal risk. My duty is to provide a safe learning environment.
2. How would you redesign the next three lessons to teach responsible behavior and reduce exclusion without eliminating competition?
Read the worked answer
I would keep competition but change its structure. Lesson 1: co-create three observable behavior expectations-no slurs or put-downs, check on a teammate after a mistake, and speak to the referee respectfully-and practice them in low-stakes 3-v-3 games. Lesson 2: assign rotating roles (captain, referee, observer, encourager) and score a “fair play” point alongside the game score; teams can earn fair-play points for including all players and resolving a disagreement with a restart. Lesson 3: use 4-v-4 games with a team goal-setting sheet and a required post-game handshake plus one specific acknowledgment per opponent.
I would avoid forced restorative circles involving the targeted student unless they choose to participate. I would use inclusive examples in handball instruction and intervene immediately on any slur. Competition remains through modified scoring, but the scoring now rewards responsible behavior, which is part of the state standard. I would also separate the two students in opposite teams for at least two lessons while monitoring.
3. What assessment evidence would show whether the affective learning objective was met, and how would you avoid grading students for being targets of harassment?
Read the worked answer
I would assess observable student behavior, not popularity or victim status. Evidence would include a sportsmanship observation checklist completed during 4-v-4 games: uses respectful language, includes teammates in play, resolves a disagreement with a restart, and responds to a referee call without retaliation. Students would complete a brief confidential climate exit ticket: “I feel safe in PE” and “I saw or heard respectful behavior today,” with a place to report incidents privately. I would compare pre- and post-unit responses and look for a decrease in slurs and put-downs, not just an increase in “nice” answers.
The targeted student would not be graded on how they responded to harassment or on whether they forgave the other student. Their grade would come from the same motor and behavioral criteria as everyone else, with any safety accommodation documented. The student who used the slur would be graded on their own behavior and held accountable through the school conduct process. I would keep incident reports separate from the academic grade and use the climate data to judge whether the unit improved safety.