Photo: Getty Images
Virginia State University officials are demanding a personal apology for its women's soccer players after they were subjected to fans shouting racial slurs and making monkey noises during a match against North Carolina's Guilford College.
The women's soccer team of Virginia State University, an HBCU, was playing against Guilford at its North Carolina campus last week when fans "yelled the N-word and made monkey noises" at the players, according to a university statement.
Following the incident, Guilford president Kyle Farmbry issued a formal apology, saying the fan remarks were made “in very poor taste and very poor sportsmanship by anyone’s definition.” Farmbry also pledged that his office would investigate the incident.
However, VSU requested that Guilford College give personal apologies to its athletes. VSU president Dr. Makola Abdullah and vice president for athletics Peggy Davis said in a statement on Tuesday (October 3) that the HBCU “will not tolerate this behavior” from Guilford and “would still like them and their fans to apologize directly to our student-athletes.”
"Our consistent goal has always been to provide a quality athletic experience for our student-athletes on and off campus, which does not include inappropriate, unacceptable, or racially insensitive comments by spectators, coaches, officials, or students,” Davis said in the statement.
"Racist and abusive language has no place in college sports,” Abdullah said. “Our student-athletes work very hard to represent our university, and we must work together to ensure everyone can enjoy a safe and inclusive environment."
It's unclear if Guilford College plans to issue the personal apologies.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.