A new investigative documentary from ESPN tells the story of Fort Myers High School baseball players who staged a walkout on their own teammates six weeks after an assistant coach used a racial slur in a text message.
What’s Happening:
- Fort Myers High School baseball players staged a walkout on their own teammates six weeks after an assistant coach sent a text message to the team that included a racial slur.
- The culture wars playing out in Florida schools over the teaching of race and culture, book banning and more, are in full effect in Lee County, and they exploded in real time during the 2023 baseball season, tearing the team apart.
- The fallout continues, with the filing of two federal discrimination lawsuits, including one by former Major League Baseball player Michael Tucker, whose son is on the team.
- Using exclusive interviews, cell phone videos, public records and body camera footage from police, ESPN senior writer Howard Bryant and director Nicole Noren explore what led to the walkout in this investigative documentary. It’s a film about the players, parents and program who were affected and what this situation can teach about divisiveness in America and its effect on young people.
- Note: This program contains descriptions of hate speech and content that some viewers may find upsetting. Viewer discretion is advised.
- You can watch the full documentary, The Walkout, for yourself below.