PIKEVILLE, Ky. (MTN) — What was supposed to be a fun day of kayaking was tarnished by a racial incident for a young University of Pikeville student.

Victor Nakayassu says a group of UPIKE band students and faculty planned a day of kayaking at Muddy Boots, an organization that operates kayaking and horseback riding at Bob Amos Park in Pikeville, Kentucky.

“As the female instructor was going over the waivers and safety on the water… she said to continue, you gotta be free, white and 21,” states Nakayassu. “I was like wow… I gotta be white to be able to do an activity that the school was paying for us to go to.”

Nakayassu says the employee kept repeating it, but would not explain herself and what really hurt the most is that everyone around — including a few members of the UPIKE faculty — remained silent and didn’t stand up for him.

“The people that call me friend, the people that call me brother… they didn’t say anything… that’s what broke me,” states Nakayassu.

After this incident, Victor says he talked with one of his close friends about leaving Kentucky and returning to Massachusetts, but he mentions that racism will follow him no matter where he moves to like “baggage”.

Muddy Boots did release a statement regarding this incident and has reached out to Nakayassu to provide him with any assistance to correct the wrongdoing.