John Hoskins, 32, who was a coach at Knightdale High School in Knightdale, North Carolina, was caught at a bar yelling, “White power, Knightdale! I still love you n****s!” Hoskins was celebrating his team’s victory over Corinth Holders High School. The incident was captured on Instagram Live by a bystander. The video was later deleted from Instagram but not before it was reported to school administrators.
"Fifteen seconds of fame in the wrong way. I've ruined the last 12 years of my career," John Hoskins told ABC11 on Tuesday in an exclusive interview.
"Just to set the record, I'm not racist," Hoskins told ABC11. "I don't mean it in a negative way,” also adding that his black friends have told him over the years that he can use the N-word.
"I guess I've been around them for so long. We're friends. I mean nothing from it," he said. "The word can be used in multiple ways. They treat me as any of their own friends."
He also noted that the athletes on the team also say it’s OK for him to use the N-word.
"They joke around. We joke around. They walk up to me and say it. 'Hey coach, just say it. You're a good coach. Just say it.' Once in a while, it slips," he said. "Once a year, it slips. To have them smile and laugh. Besides that, I mean nothing from it."
— Tim Pulliam (@TimABC11) November 5, 2019
Hoskins chose to leave his post at the school, submitting a one-sentence resignation letter that has since surfaced on Twitter.
Wake County School District Superintendent Cathy Moore has expressed disappointment over Hoskins’ language.
"The language, the context is not okay. And unfortunately, social media will show you a piece of something but not all of something. And this man is an adult. And he should know better," she said in a comment to ABC11, adding that Hoskins’ language violated the school district’s code of conduct.
The Wake County Public School System did not immediately respond to Sputnik’s request for comment.
