27 Tufts Lax Bros Suspended For Harassment/Taunting At Women’s Volleyball Game
Tufts Daily – Twenty?seven members of the men’s lacrosse team have been penalized with a two?game suspension after an external investigation found that the athletes were guilty of “unacceptable behavior” at a women’s volleyball home game against Smith College last semester, according to Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Students John Barker and Director of Athletics Bill Gehling. The Office of Equal Opportunity hired an attorney in September to conduct an external investigation after a Tufts student alleged that the athletes harassed Smith volleyball players at the Sept. 21 game from the stands in Cousens Gymnasium.
Junior Rose Barrett, whose Sept. 25 op?ed in the Daily detailed the harassment, said that she is more concerned with a developing aggressive culture on campus and not just the single volleyball game. “
When a player squatted to receive a serve: “Look at those childbearing hips!”
Commenting on a player’s build: “Whoa, we got a big one!”
Every single time a particular Latina player made contact with the ball: “Hey Sonia — Sonia you suck!” “Sonia, you f–ked up!” “That was all your fault, Sonia! You’re gonna get deported!”
“Hey number five, I bet you have a tight butthole!”
“Number seven! Number seven, where’s your boyfriend?”
“Woo, look at those volleyball shorts!”
“Hey! My sister’s your boyfriend!” Get it? The team was from Smith. Funny, right?
(Smith team photo to match up insults/compliments)
The Smith players were visibly unsettled and an assistant coach was glaring in the hecklers’ direction, although they bravely tried to ignore the commotion during the game. The group also sexually harassed the Tufts players and their coach, with one fan yelling, “Damn! Our coach is hot!” Eventually, they were chanting the Tufts’ coach’s name so that it echoed around the gym while she was trying to focus. In a disgusting display of mob mentality, they fed each other lines to further persecute the athletes and coaches. This was not a twisted attempt at flattery. Lecherous laughter and high-fives followed each shout.
Imagine trying to play your best with booming voices shouting down at you from the stands, making explicit and offensive comments about your body. Not only did they undoubtedly make the players of both teams uncomfortable, but they made other fans uncomfortable as well. I felt uneasy and threatened just being near them, and I know my female friends felt similarly.
And the pussification of America continues. Lax bros can’t even be lax bros anymore. Like since when is ““Woo, look at those volleyball shorts!” and “Hey number five, I bet you have a tight butthole!” considered insults? Those are compliments where I come from. The only one that I could see potentially being over the line is saying they were going to deport the Latina chick. I’m sure she had the best ass of all of them so just stick with the butthole stuff. But other than that I really don’t have a problem with any of it. Chicks want to be treated as equal in sports right? We have that Title 9 shit and stuff. Well this is what happens at real sporting events. The other team gets heckled. I’ve never heard a fat basketball player cry because somebody called them fat. That’s part of the deal. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
PS – I love how the players have to write an apology letter. Vintage college administrators treating students like they are in 1st grade.
Double PS – Tufts volleyball coach? Not hot.
