— A family claims their student was bullied at a high school soccer game Friday night in Durham.

The family says fans at Jordan High School researched the Page High School teams’ family tragedies and hurled insults at them from the sidelines.

Nancy Winkler shared what happened at Friday night’s high school soccer game on social media, where it has been shared hundreds of times. She said she made the post to draw attention to the vicious attacks her son and others felt on the field.

Winkler said her son, senior goalie Eric Winkler, was one of the targets of bullying. She claims fans started yelling, “Where’s your dad?” to Eric, whose father died three years ago after battling colon cancer.

"It was pretty tough on me because he was my best friend. Growing up he was always there for me and to hear 'Where's your dad at?' that's pretty hard to swallow," Eric Winkler said. "I play soccer to get rid of my problems. I love the sport more than anything and then to bring in personal issues I want to forget about, it's just not OK."

“The loss of my husband…is by far the worst personal tragedy of our lives. That tragedy was exploited, and most concerning, used in a premeditated attack on [Eric] and our family in order to gain leverage in a soccer game,” Winkler wrote on Facebook.

Nancy Winkler said the Jordan High School fans researched personal information about the players and used it to hurl insults.

The father of one of the players committed suicide after being accused of embezzlement and Winkler said fans yelled, “Where is the money?”

Nancy Winkler said she initially ignored comments, assuming the hecklers didn't know what happened to her son's father, but when the taunting continued, she became upset.

"I mean, honestly I cried from Durham back to Greensboro because it just ripped open a scab.My husband suffered and he fought, fought, fought to stay here for these kids," she said.

The Jordan High School principal and athletic director released a statement Sunday, saying they are investigating the incident.

“We are investigating the allegations of hurtful, personal statements made from spectators to members of the opposing team. The assistant principal, athletic director, and other adults at the game were working to ensure a safe environment and were not aware of the reported behaviors at the time. The statements reported would be against the values of respect and sportsmanship that we uphold at Jordan High,” the statement said.

Commissioner Que Tucker of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association said she was aware of the allegations and would wait until the schools completed their investigation.

"As a staff, it is incredibly disappointing and disheartening to see so many instances of misbehavior by various parties involved in education-based athletics, be that players, coaches or fans. We expect better behavior from those in and around our member schools, and are examining ways that NCHSAA expectations for players, coaches, and particularly fans, can be better communicated and understood by those on the local level," Tucker said.

Nancy Winkler said she thinks school officials will have a hard time finding out who made the comments, but says her son and his teammate at least deserve an apology.