YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The River Valley Falcons varsity football team has forfeited the remainder of their season after a video of some team members acting out a “slave auction” recently surfaced.

According to The Sacramento Bee, Yuba City Unified School District Superintendent Doreen Osumi sent an email to district staff members that announced River Valley was going to forfeit their Capital Valley Conference game against Roseville last Friday, September 30.

“I received a copy of a recording of River Valley High School football team members acting out a reprehensible act of a slave auction. The recording clearly demonstrates that this situation was orchestrated and organized,” Osumi wrote in the email obtained by The Bee.

With the forfeiture of the game against Roseville, the Falcons record dropped to 0-6 on the season.

The season was then canceled Friday, according to The Appeal Democrat, after a meeting that included Osumi, other district officials and school personnel in a private parent meeting. 

Osumi sent a statement that read that the students involved in the incident will not participate in the rest of the season.

Osumi followed with a statement that read, “They violated our student-athlete code of conduct, which they all signed and committed to follow, and that will not be ignored or minimized.”

She added that with multiple players being suspended for the remainder of the season, the team will be unable to safely field the varsity team, forcing the remainder of the season to be canceled. Osumi also stated that the junior varsity team would be allowed to compete, and eligible sophomores and juniors can join that team.

Osumi said the district launched an investigation immediately to find out which players were involved. 

“When students find humor in something that is so deeply offensive, it tells me that we have an opportunity to help them expand their mindset to be more aware, thoughtful and considerate of others,” Osumi said.

The Messenger Publishing Group reached out to River Valley coach Tony Battista for comment and no response was given as of press time.