Former Penn State basketball player Rasir Bolton transferred to Iowa State after his first year because his former head coach Patrick Chambers referred to “a rope [his] neck “during a meeting between the two.
Bolton, who shared a statement on Twitter, also shared his story with The Undefeated.
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“A ‘rope’ around my neck is the reason I left Penn State,” Bolton wrote on Twitter. “Head coach Patrick Chambers, the day after his suspension from a game in January 2019, when speaking with me referred to a ‘rope’ around my neck. A rope; symbolic of lynching, defined as one of the symbols Most Powerful Targets African Americans Invoking the History of Lynching, Slavery, and Racial Terrorism. Due to other interactions with the Coach, I knew this was not a mistake. “
Bolton said he reported the comment to his academic adviser as well as Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour. Bolton and his parents met with Chambers and Barbour, and at one of those meetings Chambers admitted the comment, according to Bolton.
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Chambers issued a statement on Monday.
“I couldn’t understand the experiences of others, and the reference I made was hurtful, insensitive, and unacceptable,” Chambers wrote. “I can’t apologize enough for what I said, and I will carry it forever.”
“I promise that I will continue to listen, continue to learn, and continue our conversations within our team and our Penn State family,” added Chambers.
