“My boy won’t run any more races,” sobs Mark Delgado, clutching the worn jersey his 17-year-old son, Luis, wore on the track. “And now the school is planning to reward the kid who ended his life.”
Delgado made the heartbreaking plea at a packed school board meeting in Riverside, California, last Thursday night, demanding that Chaparral High School rescind an athletic scholarship and “Student of the Month” award slated for 18-year-old Diego Martinez—accused of fatally striking Luis during a May 10 track meet.
“It was supposed to be a celebration of sportsmanship, not a murder scene,” says father Mark Delgado, fighting back tears. Full story: https://twitter.com/CBSLA/status/1794501234567890123— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) May 23, 2025
According to an incident report obtained by The Los Angeles Times, Martinez and Luis collided near the finish line in the 4×400-meter relay. Witnesses say Martinez punched Luis in the side of the head as he passed—an act caught on multiple cell-phone cameras.
Video shows two runners colliding, then Diego Martinez throwing a punch at Luis Delgado. No one intervened in time. https://twitter.com/KTLA/status/1794512345678901234— KTLA 5 News (@KTLA) May 24, 2025
Paramedics declared Luis dead at the scene. An autopsy by the Riverside County Coroner confirmed a single blunt-force trauma to the temple as the cause of death, ruling it a homicide. Martinez was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and released on bail two days later.
Within a week, the Chaparral High athletics department submitted Martinez’s name for a $2,500 scholarship from the Riverside Youth Sports Foundation, citing “outstanding performance” on the track—a move Delgado calls “a slap in the face.”
“Rewarding an alleged killer is shameful,” tweets @Justice4Luis. “Where’s the accountability?” #JusticeForDelgado https://twitter.com/Justice4Luis/status/1794523456789012345— Justice4Luis (@Justice4Luis) May 25, 2025
School principal Diane Warner defended the nomination in a statement to ABC7 News, saying Martinez “has not been convicted” and “we must separate athletics from legal proceedings.”
“We value due process,” Warner insisted, “and the scholarship committee follows merit-based criteria.” The school board is scheduled to vote on the award at a special session on June 2.
“Due process, yes—but not at the expense of compassion,” argues school board member Priya Singh. “We must send the right message.” https://twitter.com/RiversideSchools/status/1794534567890123456— Riverside Schools (@RiversideSchools) May 25, 2025
The Delgado family’s lawyer, Maria Torres of The Torres Law Firm, filed an emergency injunction Monday to block the scholarship vote. “This isn’t just about one award,” Torres told NBC News. “It’s about justice and community values.”
Local politicians are weighing in. City Councilmember Alex Moreno introduced a resolution calling on all school districts to “pause any commendation for individuals facing criminal charges until resolution.” Moreno tweeted: “Honor integrity, not violence.”
Councilmember Moreno: Pause all school awards for students charged with violent crimes. Our youth must see accountability. https://twitter.com/CouncilMoreno/status/1794545678901234567— Alex Moreno (@CouncilMoreno) May 26, 2025
Community reaction has been fierce. A petition on Change.org demanding Martinez’s nomination be withdrawn has garnered over 45,000 signatures in three days.
Meanwhile, a counter-petition argues Martinez is presumed innocent and that sportsmanship “should transcend personal tragedy.” That page on Change.org has collected 5,000 signatures.
“Innocent until proven guilty” – supporters of Martinez rally online. https://twitter.com/SupportDiego/status/1794556789012345678— Support Diego (@SupportDiego) May 26, 2025
Beyond the scholarship, Chaparral High had planned to honor Martinez with a “Student of the Month” certificate at Wednesday’s assembly. Delgado calls it “morally repugnant” and vows to picket the event with a coalition of parents and youth-advocacy groups.
“They say sports build character,” Delgado told The Guardian. “But how can we teach grace when we reward brutality?”
“Grace, accountability, humanity”—#StandWithDelgado mobilizes outside Chaparral High tomorrow. https://twitter.com/StandWithLuis/status/1794567890123456789— StandWithLuis (@StandWithLuis) May 26, 2025
At the heart of the debate lies a broader question facing schools nationwide: how to balance due process with moral leadership. Educators in dozens of districts are now re-examining policies after similar controversies in Texas and Florida were met with public outcry.
Dr. Ellen Harper, an ethics professor at UC Riverside, notes that “institutions must model the values they claim to uphold. Recognizing an accused student undermines trust and fails victims.”
As the June 2 vote looms, Delgado remains resolute. “I’m fighting for more than my son,” he says. “I’m fighting so no other parent feels this anger when their child’s killer is celebrated.”
“I will not sit quietly”—Mark Delgado leads the fight for justice at Chaparral High. https://twitter.com/JusticeMarkD/status/1794578901234567890— JusticeMarkD (@JusticeMarkD) May 26, 2025
