Amherst College swiftly fired then-coach Jon Thompson and hired Devoe as his replacement, with the expectation that Devoe would rebuild the program by creating a more inclusive team environment. President Biddy Martin learned about the incident on March 8, she told The Student in a statement. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkAmherstMLax-HG-032220,ph1'); Its essential that we get more information and get to the bottom of what happened. In this letter we outline and explain the decisions we have now made in response to the incident. An early-morning dustup ensued, and one of the combatants was Black. Those cases include sharing photos of a teammate with a swastika drawn on his face who had passed out at a party, and GroupMe exchanges denigrating and ridiculing gender-nonconforming and trans staff, the letter said, according to the Boston Globe. The punishment comes after several players reportedly chanted the N-word at the Black student, who then punched a teammate for using the slur during the March 7 incident. Former Amherst College men's lacrosse head coach Rashad Devoe has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the school, per The Boston Globe. Box 1013. P.O. Amherst College in Massachusetts has fired its men's lacrosse coach and put the entire team on probation because of a string of horrifying racist incidents. Learn from an outstanding staff comprised of local high school coaches and former high school and college players. Amherst, MA Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium. As much as colleges gain from the success of their sports teams, you have to admit that is some pretty strong conviction. Agostos responsibility is now focused on our COVID response, she told The Student. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright USA Lacrosse Magazine School wont discuss specifics of case, suspension. On Tuesday, Jan. 31, under the leadership of its new director Siddhartha V. Shah, the Mead Art Museum opened its doors to the general public for the first time in nearly three years. This weekend is the first anniversary of the lacrosse meltdown at Amherst College, an ugly chain of events that continues to wreak havoc on the program. Due to a racially charged incident early this month, the team was put on probation for the 2021 season and coach Jon Thompson was fired. So yeah, please dont fall into the trap of believing that white Baby Boomers and their predecessors leaving the Earth will somehow eradicate racism. On March 12, all spring sports at Amherst College were suspended due to the coronavirus. Launching Media Careers. The letter also noted that members of the program were responsible in the past for vandalism in dorms and putting an undue burden on campus custodial services. Due to a racially charged incident early this month, the team was put on probation for the 2021 season and coach Jon Thompson was fired. "Aidan was known for his infectious smile, being a good friend, and a tremendous athlete," the obituary reads. Olivia Gieger 21 and Henry Newton 21 contributed reporting to this article. The Amherst Student also reports they have "been unable to confirm the disciplinary action taken by the college. If true, it is unclear why the entire team was suspended; according to the schools website, there are fifty lacrosse players at the college. 7 in the country this year before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amherst Athletics confirmed the report to US Lacrosse Magazine and included the letter sent to faculty, staff and students (below). History. The Amherst Student also reports this racist attack is the "second publicly-addressed hate incident within the last year that has involved mens lacrosse players." var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; The school said it is doing further investigation into the team members and warns that if any player is found guilty under the colleges Student Code of Conduct for disrespect to others, vandalism or sexual misconduct, the team might not play in the spring of 2021 either. We will review whether this prohibition will continue into additional future seasons at the conclusion of the Spring 2021 season. School officials would not answer repeated requests for comment. Findings of individual responsibility for violating the Honor Code lie with the disciplinary process in the Office of Student Affairs. There is growing outrage after three members of the Amherst College mens lacrosse team reportedly chanted the N-word at a Black player. This August, following Devoes dismissal, Amherst College announced the hiring of former head coach at Colorado College, Sean Woods, as the programs new head coach. The team has also been responsible, in previous years, of vandalizing dorms and putting undue stress on custodial and facilities staff at the Massachusetts campus. Amherst College has placed its men's lacrosse team on probation and is firing the team's coach following complaints that players used a racial slur. The school is making itself ineligible for the 2021 postseason under the probation and has banned formal team gatherings until Nov. 1, which includes any player-run practices or other team-bonding activities. The incident that inspired the suspension allegedly involved the use by some members of the lacrosse team of racist, harassing speech. That speech reportedly included the racial slur nigger.. According to the Globe, players have transferred, parents have expressed outrage and recruits are wary of enrolling in the elite small private liberal arts college.. Three people all members of mens lacrosse chanted the n-word outside of a Black lacrosse players suite on March 7. Concussions are a risk associated with any sport, physical activity or accident. Box 1013 Milford, NH 03055 Email Inquiries related to Jamboree or NHYLA Festival and fundraising: souheganlax@gmail.com Upcoming Games none available Man from Viral Video Explains Why He Knocked Down White Dude for Spouting the N-Word In Ohio Convenience Store, Angry Woman Refuses to Let Black Postmates Driver Deliver Order In Apartment Building: I Dont Want You Here at All, White Woman Calls 911 on Black Man, Accuses Him of Being Drug Dealer as He Sits Outside His Own House. Amherst Lacrosse Team on Probation By Lilah Burke March 23, 2020 The Boston Globehas reported that Amherst College has placed its men's lacrosse team on probation through the 2021 season and terminated coach Jon Thompson after a racist incident involving the team. According to the Boston Globe, Devoe was fired one year into his three-year contract because he "verbally mistreated" the lacrosse athletes. Amherst College and a Black lacrosse coach who said the school fraudulently lured him away from a historically Black university to help solve the culture of racism and misogyny rooted in Amherst men's lacrosse team resolved his discrimination lawsuit, according to Massachusetts federal court records and the parties. In December of 2018, a swastika was drawn on an unconscious students forehead at a mens lacrosse party. Its important for us to recognize and acknowledge that both the use of racial epithets on our campus and physical violence causes harm not only to the individuals involved but to the community as a whole, Dean of Students Liz Agosto wrote in an email blast to students March 9. The singer-songwriter has a musical career spanning over two decades. "University resources are available for members of the UMass community to utilize during this challenging time," it said. AMHERST The former head coach of the Amherst College men's lacrosse team has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that school officials discriminated against him, and ultimately fired him, "on the basis of his race." . Participation in athletics at Amherst is a privilege, not a right, the letter reads. "The Massachusetts athletics department extends condolences to Aidan's family,. Due to a racially charged incident early this month, the team was put on probation for the 2021 season and coach Jon Thompson was fired. Those cases include sharing photos of a teammate with a swastika drawn on his face who had passed out at a party, and GroupMe exchanges denigrating and ridiculing gender-nonconforming and trans staff. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Amherst College has placed its men's lacrosse program on probation canceling its 2020 postseason along with all formal team gatherings until November. College Men. var photocredit = "'COURTESY GEOFFREY BOLTE/CLARUS STUDIOS INC./AMHERST COLLEGE' 'The Amherst College mens lacrosse team celebrates during a 16-13 win over Wesleyan in the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Pratt Field. The university claims that they were forced to punish the entire team because they were not able to identify the students that used the racial slurs during the alleged incident. Shawna Chen, a former reporter for the Amherst Student, confirmed the students' identities. Brianna Kraemer - University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Womens soccer team suspended due to blackface Halloween costume, Vulgar texts prompt wrestling teams suspension, demands for expulsion, Catholic university denies group for belief in two sexes, Black Marxist scholar who supports reparations finds out she descends from slave owner, American University will not divulge race of suspect who wrote Black people suck, Dartmouth outdoor club speakers: White supremacy, domination obstruct access to nature, Powered by the Student Free Press Association. August 14, 2021. In high school, Kaminska was a captain on both the boys' football and lacrosse teams, his obituary states. I dont believe anyone will face consequences until the facts are known., The incident, it appears, risks becoming swept under the rug in light of recent events involving COVID-19 and major changes to the structure of the campus. AMHERST Amherst College has placed its nationally ranked men's lacrosse program on probation for the 2021 spring season and fired head coach Jon Thompson following a racially charged. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { In the memo, Martin, Faulstick and Epstein detailed a number of other incidents that led to their decision to bench the team. However, as with any group or organization on our campus, teammates are accountable to each other and, as a team, also to the larger community. The Amherst College mens lacrosse team celebrates during a 16-13 win over Wesleyan in the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Pratt Field. At least one member of the lacrosse team was accused of using a racial slur during a "harassing" incident that occurred in March. The descendants of the Trevelyan family offered their apologies and pledged about $120,000 and other private donations. AMHERST, Mass. Thompson, in his 10th year with Amherst, went 18-4 last season and lost in the NCAA Division III championship game to Cabrini. As a condition of being allowed to play in the Spring 2021 season, the following terms of probation will be required of the team: 1. Amherst athletes are required to follow the behavioral standards set by the athletic department and the College honor code as well.. This includes, but is not limited to, captains practices and team-bonding activities. Fri Mar 20 2020 | Kenny DeJohn | College A team culture that repeatedly violates standards of human decency and then protects those who have perpetuated these violations is not a culture acceptable at Amherst, Martin said. "We join @UMassAthletics in mourning the loss of mens lacrosse player Aidan Kaminska," UMass Amherst said in a separate Twitter statement. He is survived by his parents, Glenn and Lydia, an older brother, Connor, and other relatives, it says. Masslive.com reports. Catherine EpsteinProvost and Dean of the Faculty. Email Inquiries related to Jamboree or NHYLA Festival and fundraising: 26 Feb Feb Amherst Recreation : Mon-Fri, 8am - 4pm 4 Cross Road Amherst, NH 03031 Phone Number: 673-6248 Email Inquires related to Amherst Lacrosse: Amherstreclacrosse@gmail.com Souhegan Valley Lacrosse P.O. The College Fix reached out to several staff members including director of athletics Don Faulstick, none of whom responded to requests for comment. Breaking Campus News. The team, which ranked No. According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Amherst College has placed its mens lacrosse program on probation canceling its 2020 postseason along with all formal team gatherings until November following an incident first reported by the Amherst Student earlier this month. In fact, theyre so serious that according to the Gazette, college officials fired the teams head coach of nearly 10 years, Jon Thompson, despite the fact that he led the Mammoths to its first national championship game last season, closing out the year ranked at no. 2023 BET Interactive, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Entertainment Television LLC. offers outstanding youth lacrosse for players of all experience levels. Participation in athletics at Amherst is a privilege, not a right, the letter said. The team will participate in an impromptu intrasquad scrimmage tomorrow so that the team, particularly seniors, will be able to play before departing campus indefinitely after the suspension of all spring sports due to the colleges COVID-19 response. Reached via email, campus spokeswoman Caroline Hanna directed The College Fix to a message from President Biddy Martin. Amherst defeated Park by the score of 8-5. Bigotry and prejudice are not solely attached to the age groups that witnessed Jim Crow first-hand. Subject: Amherst Lacrosse? Some students allegedly chanted the. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; At least one member of the lacrosse team was accused of using a racial slur during a harassing incident that occurred in March. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); Following the incident, Dean Epstein sent a letter to the Amherst College community pointing out that this was actually only one of several incidents of bigoted or otherwise unruly behavior surrounding the team, including transphobia aimed at staff members and vandalism in dorms. The Student reached out to Director of Athletics Don Faulstick, Senior Associate Dean of Students Dean Gendron and Chief Student Affairs Officer Karu Kozuma for comment. We did not determine the timing of the egregious behavior that prompts our actions. 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