It is not tolerable to have a racist slur used against anyone. Provoked, the Black lacrosse player punched one of the teammates chanting the n-word. 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. '"; The incident that occurred nearly two weeks ago involved the use by some members of the lacrosse team of racist, harassing speechin the form of the n-word. The use of this slur carries the historical weight of centuries-long violence and hatred toward black Americans. Masslive.com reports. I dont believe anyone will face consequences until the facts are known.. The Amherst College mens lacrosse team has a recent history of controversy. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. A.L.A. An image was then circulated on the mens lacrosse players social media. The Black Students Union dedicated its meeting on Tuesday night to discussing the incident. Police say that last October Ferrante was hired to build a seasonal room and was paid over $8,500. Dean of Students Liz Agosto wrote in a March 9 email to the student body, It is important for us to recognize and acknowledge that both the use of racial epithets on our campus and physical violence cause harm not only to the individuals involved but to the community as a whole. In December of 2018, a swastika was drawn on an unconscious students forehead at a mens lacrosse party. Thompson finishes his Amherst career with a 125-47 record with seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; Woods leadership may be a deciding factor in the lacrosse programs future. The Amherst lacrosse coach, Jon Thompson, posted his reaction to the incident and shared the disciplinary action he would be taking. This we will do, the writers declared. 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. Following an earthquake that has caused nearly 50,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria, The Student spoke with students from the affected region about their experiences in the aftermath of the tragedy, the colleges response, and efforts to raise relief funds. Reached via email, campus spokeswoman Caroline Hanna directed The College Fix to a message from President Biddy Martin. University of Southern California (USC) Prospect Camp - July 12-13. As a redshirt freshman, Kaminska was named "Rookie of the Week" following a three-goal performance in a game against Hofstra University, which offered its "deepest condolences to the Kaminska family and the (UMass lacrosse) community" in a statement on Twitter. Amherst athletes are required to follow the behavioral standards set by the athletic department and the College honor code as well. '"; Amherst Colleges director of media communications, Caroline Hanna, responded to Mount Holyoke News on the matter. Amherst athletes are required to follow the behavioral standards set by the athletic department and the College honor code as well. College Men. The school last month outlined several terms of probation for lacrosse teammates. The squabble was first reported by student-run paper The Amherst Student earlier this month. Amherst, NH 03031. The team will not participate in NCAA postseason play next year. GAME DAY; Watch Live; Live Stats; Composite Schedule; Photos; Tickets; CONNECT; NCAA; Sunshine State Conference; (0% . 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. Ferrante, 72, of Lancaster, was arrested and charged with felony grand . the coach was, at least in the past, known as very progressive in terms of encouraging his players to do the right thing and be thoughtful. He "enjoyed taking long walks in nature and he worked out fiercely," his obituary says. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is mourning the death of a 19-year-old student and lacrosse player. 7 in the country this year before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize that not every student on the mens lacrosse team has actively participated in the violations that have come to light. That may have been a reference to the firing of lacrosse coach Jon Thompson, who was dismissed by the school last month. 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. 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. At Amherst we are fortunate to have a student body, a staff, and a faculty that have begun to more closely reflect the realities of the country and the world. According to the Boston Globe, Devoe was fired one year into his three-year contract because he "verbally mistreated" the lacrosse athletes. NESCAC. In addition to probation, team members are barred from participating in any formal team gatherings, including player-led practices and bonding activities, until Nov. 1, 2020. He also enjoyed cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, including making homemade pickles with his mother. Dean of Students Liz Agosto sent an email on March 9 notifying students of an altercation between two students involving the use of racist language and subsequent physical violence. The email did not provide further details of what happened. All we can do is continue to educate, fight against itand if need be, punch a few white people in the face. According toAmherst Student, the incident occured on March 7 on the campus of the Massachusetts' college. BREAKING:Eli Lilly caps the cost of insulin at $35 a month. Following an incident two weeks ago involving the use of a racial slur by members of the Amherst mens lacrosse team originally reported by the schools newspaper, The Amherst Student, the university has reportedly fired head coach Jon Thompson and banned the team from competing in the 2021 postseason. We stand ready to help guide and support the work of transforming the mens lacrosse program and to continue the work of ensuring that all our students have full access to the intellectual, social, and co-curricular opportunities Amherst offers.. This we will do. The exact contents of that course are unclear and, if were being honest, this has ineffective diversity training written all over it, but that doesnt mean officials at Amherst are not dead serious about holding everyone involved in this incident accountable. [CDATA[ We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Launching Media Careers. In the fall, every member of the team will complete an educational program determined by the provost and the dean of the faculty, in consultation with the chief diversity and inclusion officer and the director of athletics; 2. The Jumbos jumped up to the #6 seed in NESCAC with wins over the last two weekends at Amherst (2-0) and Hamilton (2-1) and on home ice . The letter described several other incidents that led to a decision of this nature. 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. The Atlanta producer discusses his new single, debut album and fondest memories of Takeoff. Whoever said racism will go away once older generations of white people die off severely underestimates how much bigotry gets passed down from one generation to the next. Former Navy lacrosse player, Top Gun grad Thomas Zimmerman flies with Blue Angels. University of Massachusetts Amherst lacrosse player Aidan Kaminska died "unexpectedly" on May 30, according to an online obituary. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. Amherst athletics is among the oldest and most prestigious athletic programs in the country, the letter concluded. From the beginning, several Amherst parents considered Devoes coaching methods to be unacceptable. According to the Boston Globe, Devoe was fired one year into his three-year contract because he verbally mistreated the lacrosse athletes. Martins letter added that the lacrosse players have been uncooperative in the investigation into the N-word incident, with players refusing to name the individual responsible for starting the racist chant. 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." Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. The team, which ranked No. 1996 brought the 3rd year program a Section VI Class B title, an undefeated season in ECIC II league play and a 16-4 overall record. As much as colleges gain from the success of their sports teams, you have to admit that is some pretty strong conviction. The #IntegrateAmherst movement was catalyzed by a racist incident on March 8. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { CHRIS WRIGHT/CLARUS STUDIOS INC./AMHERST COLLEGE In fact, I can think of no legitimate reason why any white person would use it, whether it is directed at a specific person or not. Published: 8/17/2021 9:21:25 PM. The singer-songwriter has a musical career spanning over two decades. He was named All-County Midfielder in his junior year for lacrosse. That is the business of the institution, and that doesnt stop happening because we think many of our students will be leaving in a week But we have had to shift priorities and focus on what are the primary things that we are working on, and so for me, the two things are COVID and individual student and community crisis care Everything else we will get to in a minute. When The Student asked Martin about follow-up on the incident after the sit-in on the night of March 9 and the morning of March 10, Martin said that in every spare moment that weve had [between COVID-19 response planning], weve returned to get information from each other about this incident, so that is the top of mind.. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); 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. There is growing outrage after three members of the Amherst College mens lacrosse team reportedly chanted the N-word at a Black player. August 14, 2021. On the basis of a pattern that is endemic and egregious, and that requires immediate correction, we have determined, effective immediately, that the mens lacrosse team is placed on probation through June 30, 2021. In short, we cannot ignore the harmful culture that exists on the mens lacrosse team, and its damage to our community. The team over recent years has been responsible for other violations, including vandalism in the dorms, overtaxing our custodial and facilities staff, and at times creating unsafe conditions. As revealed by WBUR, According to the lawsuit, administrators pressured Devoe to reveal the identi[t]ies of three Black athletes who complained about a racist comment made by a lacrosse player, and when he refused, he was fired. The timing of the termination is cause for speculation because the refusal and removal happened around the same time. According to Inside Lacrosse, Amherst president Biddy Martin, athletic director Don Faulstick and dean of faculty Catherine Epstein described as a list of deeply troubling cases.. Before we do, we acknowledge that our decisions come at an extremely difficult time when we are all faced with the rapid spread and heartbreaking impact of the COVID-19 virus. Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Parler, Gab, Minds, Gettr and Telegram. They also need to pay more attention to how often young white people behave in a manner that shows apples not falling far from their trees. Aidan Kaminska, who was born in Stony Brook, New York, was a sophomore majoring in communications and a midfielder on the Minutemen lacrosse team, according to an obituary. For them to transfer somewhere else, somewhere else will have to want them. In addition, every member of the team will be required to complete an educational course selected by Epstein with input from the chief diversity and inclusion officer and Faulstick. Our athletes can and must reflect the best of Amherst, holding themselves to the high standards we expect of our community in all its endeavors. It is, unfortunately, only the most recent in a list of deeply troubling cases involving some team members over the years. CHRIS WRIGHT/CLARUS STUDIOS INC./AMHERST COLLEGE. (AP) 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.. On March 12, all spring sports at Amherst College were suspended due to the coronavirus. The circular design of the power strip allows for the 15" to coil up inside the body of the productmaking it easy to wrap up and throw in a bag to take with you when traveling. We may earn a commission from links on this page. While the college declined to name the students involved in the incident, social media users took to Twitter to demand the students in question be expelled from school. At least one member of the lacrosse team was accused of using a racial slur during a "harassing" incident that occurred in March. Coach Thompson led the team to its first national championship game last year and was in the midst of his 10th season with the program before his firing this week. }, The Amherst College mens lacrosse team celebrates during a 16-13 win over Wesleyan in the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Pratt Field. Unfortunately, even these two incidents are not isolated. Rodney Robinson . Prior to Devoes arrival, the lacrosse team had been put on probation following a racist incident in March 2020. We have a rare and precious opportunity to learn from one another, build a truly supportive and engaged community, and create an environment that draws on a rich array of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and experiences. 7 in the nation. Thompson, in his 10th year with Amherst, went 18-4 last season and lost in the NCAA Division III championship game to Cabrini. Learn from an outstanding staff comprised of local high school coaches and former high school and college players. 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