Brigham Young University concludes investigation into racial slur incident

The controversy first kicked off when Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson alleged that BYU fans called her the ‘N-word’ and other racial slurs during a match that took place on August 26.

Brigham Young University concludes investigation into racial slur incident
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Brigham Young University, which saw itself as the centre of a racial firestorm involving fans of the BYU women’s volleyball team allegedly hurling racial slurs at black players of Duke University, has concluded its investigation into the matter. BYU stated on Friday that following the investigation, it found no evidence that anyone hurled racial slurs or heckled the players.

The controversy first kicked off when Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson alleged that BYU fans called her the ‘n-word’ and other racial slurs during a match that took place on August 26.

“We reviewed all available video and audio recordings, including security footage and raw footage from all camera angles taken by BYUTV of the match, with broadcasting audio removed (to ensure that the noise from the stands could be heard more clearly),” said BYU in a statement.

“We also reached out to more than 50 individuals who attended the event: Duke athletic department personnel and student-athletes, BYU athletic department personnel and student-athletes, event security and management and fans who were in the arena that evening, including many of the fans in the on-court student section,” the statement added.

The day after the match, Richardson’s god-mother Lesa Pamplin, who is running for judge in Tarrant County, Texas, claimed on Twitter that the student was “called a [n-word] every time she served,” the Daily Wire reported.

Her remarks prompted social justice activist and NBA star LeBron James to comment:

@LesaPamplin, you tell your Goddaughter to stand tall, be proud and continue to be BLACK!!! We are a brotherhood and sisterhood! We have her back. This is not sports.

Richardson later described the alleged harassment she faced from spectators, whom she said made her feel “unsafe.”

“Friday night in our match against Brigham Young University my fellow African American teammates and I were targeted and racially heckled throughout the entirety of the match,” Richardson claimed. “The slurs and comments grew into threats which caused us to feel unsafe.”

She then accused officials and BYU coaches of being aware of the slurs but refusing to “take the necessary steps to stop the unacceptable behavior and create a safe environment.”

The situation escalated further when the South Carolina women’s basketball team canceled its series with BYU.

Referring to a fan who was banned from campus after being mistakenly identified as someone who hurled racial slurs at players, the BYU said:

From our extensive review, we have not found any evidence to corroborate the allegation that fans engaged in racial heckling or uttered racial slurs at the event.

As a result of our investigation, we have lifted the ban on the fan who was identified as having uttered racial slurs during the match. We have not found any evidence that that individual engaged in such an activity.

Duke University’s VP and Director of Athletics Nina King released a pithy statement following the investigation to say that the school stood with its students:

The 18 members of the Duke University volleyball team are exceptionally strong women who represent themselves, their families, and Duke University with the utmost integrity. We unequivocally stand with and champion them, especially when their character is called into question. Duke Athletics believes in respect, equality and inclusiveness, and we do not tolerate hate and bias. #HateWontLiveHere

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