Every winter, students come together to compete in intramural basketball at lunch. This year’s league was paused right as it started because of contentious social media posts by teams.
The controversy began when about half of the 14 teams created Instagram accounts to showcase each player and to log their records week by week. Many then began using AI to create and post altered images of players and famous figures, which were shared rampantly among students.
One AI image depicted Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA leader who was assassinated last year, with a Jackson-Reed logo “tattooed” on his arm. Another showed a player superimposed on the island belonging to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The inflammatory posts drew attention from students and JR administrators, leading the Student Government Association (SGA), which coordinates the league, and the administration to pause the season shortly after it had started.
The SGA worked with staff advisors to organize lunchtime meetings with captains and coaches, and then with the entire league to discuss social media usage and re-center the mission of the league.
Afterward, SGA advisor Simona Spicciani Gerhardt set new guidelines for intramural teams that ban the use of acronyms or abbreviations in team names; political references; gang-related names or symbols; and names “that could cause controversy or conflict.” She said the goals of intramurals are strengthening school spirit, promoting healthy competition, and building community.
“We want intramurals and the culture here at Jackson-Reed to be inclusive,” said Physical Education teacher Desmond Dunham, who attended the meetings. “That’s how we went back to the mission. We asked the question, is this inclusive for everyone?”
Social media accounts that use AI to promote their teams are theoretically allowed as long as they remain unaffiliated with Jackson-Reed. But SGA and Senior Class President Charlie Ketchum said that because the JR logo was pictured in some of the posts, “the photo was associated with the school and not every person here has the same sociopolitical beliefs, making this the wrong image to represent our school.” The school was then compelled to intervene, he said.
“Players are not allowed to post content that can be traced to aligning the school with a specific political or social belief, and they must take down the controversial images that the school outlined,” Ketchum explained.
One player on an intramural team, who asked to remain anonymous, said, “The mention of Charlie Kirk was intended to be making fun of him, but we understand why the school was upset.” The student said that he “didn’t actually care that the posts were taken down.”
Images referencing current world conflicts, sexual orientation, and political alignments in the US were swiftly removed by the teams, allowing the tournament to continue after a delay more than a week.
Play has resumed every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at lunchtime, and the tournament continued to draw large crowds. Spicciani Gerhardt and Dunham both emphasized the success of the tournament and the joy it has brought.
“It’s a great thing culturally for the school,” Spicciani Gerhardt said. Dunham agreed that he’s seen the intramural league grow school spirit and bring kids together.
Many players affirmed their love of the tournament, too. Sophomore Ethan Harrison, a member of the Backboard Bandits team, said that his favorite part of the event is “supporting my teammates.”
Sophomore Ryan Goodstein said he appreciates the opportunity to “show the world how I can hoop and express my skills on the court with my friends.”
With the controversy resolved, rivalries are heating up. “We’re not worried about power rankings, it’s all just white noise.,” senior Isaak Greiff from the team Gonzers said, referring to ranking posted on the Instagram account @barstooljacksonreed. “We’re the best team and we know that. Validation isn’t needed.”
As play has progressed, there have been close games, clutch shots, and great teamwork. The league will continue until playoffs in the spring. The winning team will compete in a anticipated showdown against a group of staff.
“It’s not about who is the best basketball player,” said sophomore Mason Fedele, a member of the Backboard Bandits. “It’s about community building within the school.”•
