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. Aidan Kaminska was a sophomore majoring in communications and was a midfielder on the Minutemen lacrosse team, according to his obituary. In short, we cannot ignore the harmful culture that exists on the mens lacrosse team, and its damage to our community.. 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.. [CDATA[ The incident that sparked the punishment was first reported by the Amherst Student on March 11. Amherst Athletics confirmed the report to US Lacrosse Magazine and included the letter sent to faculty, staff and students (below). Participation in athletics at Amherst is a privilege, not a right, the letter said. In addition to lacrosse and football, Kaminska loved baby animals, especially ducklings and bunnies. The Globe also noted that Devoe said he reported the alleged discrimination but school officials declined to assure him they would protect him and the students from retaliation and continued discrimination.. Making Love Songs: The Story Behind Method Man's "All I Need". CHRIS WRIGHT/CLARUS STUDIOS INC./AMHERST COLLEGE. 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. 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. 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 team has been near the top of the D3 rankings for the past few yrs and even won a title. In their press release, the school cited a failure of the team as a whole to voluntarily identify the individuals involved, and a team wide culture that supported the alleged behavior. An image was then circulated on the mens lacrosse players social media. All rights reserved. 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. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. We will review whether this prohibition will continue into additional future seasons at the conclusion of the Spring 2021 season. 2023 BET Interactive, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Entertainment Television LLC. We realize that not every student on the mens lacrosse team has actively participated in the violations that have come to light. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; The school last month outlined several terms of probation for lacrosse teammates. The Student reportedly confirmed the details of the incident with five people with knowledge of the situation. 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. The descendants of the Trevelyan family offered their apologies and pledged about $120,000 and other private donations. In this letter we outline and explain the decisions we have now made in response to the incident. Milford, NH 03055. It is not tolerable to have a racist slur used against anyone. Breitbart News reported in 2016 that Harvard University had suspended the mens soccer team for the remainder of the season because some players had created a list that ranked players on the womens soccer team on the basis of their appearance. 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. Amherst College president Biddy Martin announced the school has placed its men's lacrosse team on probation through June 30, 2021 following an incident two weeks ago in which members of the team . 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. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Kaminska went on to be named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie team for the 2022 season and was named to the 2022 CAA All-Tournament team, his obituary and Massachusetts athletics said. Shawna Chen, a former reporter for the Amherst Student, confirmed the students' identities. This we will do. A.L.A. Mar 17 (Fri) 11 AM. In Residence Halls are a subset of On Campus statistics. They added that the incident was only the most recent in a list of deeply troubling cases involving some team members over the years. In short, we cannot ignore the harmful culture that exists on the mens lacrosse team, and its damage to our community.. We did not determine the timing of the egregious behavior that prompts our actions. Launching Media Careers. 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. 7 in the country this year before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The incident involved three white players from the team who chanted the N-word outside a Black teammates dorm room, as reported by the Daily Hampshire Gazette. 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. One of those incidents was team members exchanging messages in a popular texting app, GroupMe, that were denigrating and ridiculing transgender and gender-nonconforming staff members. All rights reserved. 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. All we can do is continue to educate, fight against itand if need be, punch a few white people in the face. 7 in the nation before the season was cut short due to the recent pandemic, will now miss out on the 2021 postseason. 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. Agostos responsibility is now focused on our COVID response, she told The Student. In the wake of this latest controversy, the team is struggling to retain both its players and status. Jon Thompson was in his 10th year with Amherst. Prof fired after speaking out against antisemitism, sexual misconduct wins $1M settlement, U. Minn wants to give nearly 3,500 acres to Native American tribe, American Bar Association votes to retain law school admissions tests requirement, Philly locals complain: Penn made schools better, area safer. Published on June 2, 2022 10:54 PM. 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. After an investigation into Devoe verbally mistreating players who had broken the school's COVID-19 rules . Amherst, NH 03031. MEDFORD, MA (February 24, 2023) - The Tufts University hockey team takes a four-game winning streak into its NESCAC Tournament quarterfinal game at Amherst College on Saturday evening. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; Due to the confidential nature of this ongoing investigation through the Office of Student Affairs, The Student has refrained from publishing the names of the people involved. At least one member of the lacrosse team was accused of using a racial slur during a harassing incident that occurred in March. 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. College-age whites tend to demonstrate a prime example of said behavior judging from the numerous instances of students donning blackface on campus to attendees at college sports events who, through their excitement and pride for their schools, reveal their racism by attacking black athletes. Editors note: This story is evolving, and further reporting about the administrations response and the disciplinary action faced by the students responsible for hurling hateful language is forthcoming. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { It is important that everyone understands the symptoms, risks, and management of a suspected brain injury. 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. 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. 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.. 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." In December 2018, another incident occurred at a men's lacrosse party in which a swastika was drawn on the forehead of an unconscious student. Amherst athletics is among the oldest and most prestigious athletic programs in the country. Amherst athletes are required to follow the behavioral standards set by the athletic department and the College honor code as well. 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. College leadership, including Amherst President Biddy Martin and athletics director Don Faulstick, have since addressed the incident in a letter to the campus community, one in which they highlighted multiple instances of troubling behavior by the mens lacrosse program. What makes these matters worse is the failure of those involved to own up to their behavior and the failure of teammates to identify who was at fault. The school said the entire 2021 season could be canceled. Need even more lacrosse information? Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Learn from an outstanding staff comprised of local high school coaches and former high school and college players. A racist incident at Amherst College has led to a year-long probation for the school's nationally ranked men's lacrosse team and the firing of head coach John Thompson, the Daily Hampshire. Mon-Fri, 8am - 4pm. Hanna highlighted Amherst Colleges values, which are [promoting] diversity, inclusion, and respect, adding, We have a majority minority student body, an increasingly diverse faculty and staff and a community dedicated to the work of inclusion We are confident that a full legal review of the complaint will support our position that it is without merit., WBUR stated that Devoes intention with the lawsuit is to regain his position at Amherst College, in which he made $90,000 a year, as well as financial damages. IE 11 is not supported. That may have been a reference to the firing of lacrosse coach Jon Thompson, who was dismissed by the school last month. Thompson, in his 10th year with Amherst, went 18-4 last season and lost in the NCAA Division III championship game to Cabrini. These failures have exacerbated the harm to those directly affected and to our broader community, including those alumni who experienced racism and other indignities while at Amherst. 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 players must also undergo an educational course chosen by provost Catherine Epstein with input from the colleges chief diversity and inclusion officer, according to the Gazette. 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. Ferrante, 72, of Lancaster, was arrested and charged with felony grand . We're ignoring the very incident that caused Amherst lacrosse's current penalties. Provoked, the Black lacrosse player punched one of the teammates chanting the n-word. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. Breaking Campus News. Box 1013. "Provoked, the Black lacrosse player punched one of the teammates chanting the N-word," the Student reports. 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. The administrators pointed to a social media group chat in which players made denigrating and ridiculing remarks about transgender staff members. A wake for the athlete is expected to be held Friday in East Setauket, New York, and a funeral will be held Saturday in Port Jefferson. The lawsuit alleges that there was more to Devoes removal than was officially communicated by the school. Unfortunately, even these two incidents are not isolated. Tagged: Lacrosse, Gigi Picard, Amherst College, Rashad Devoe, Lawsuit, Mount Holyoke Tennis and Rowing start their competitive seasons, Game of the Week: Mount Holyoke Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer and Volleyball, Amherst College faces lawsuit by former lacrosse head coach. 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. Over the summer, Amherst College received a wrongful termination lawsuit from former mens lacrosse Head Coach Rashad Devoe. GAME DAY; Watch Live; Live Stats; Composite Schedule; Photos; Tickets; CONNECT; NCAA; Sunshine State Conference; (0% . The camp is for boys in the classes of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. . And explain the decisions we have now made in response to the incident with five people with knowledge of Spring! Our site on another browser was dismissed by the school & # x27 ; s COVID-19 rules after an into... 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