Athletes in the state of Kansas threaten to boycott the game and other athletic department events if the school fails to take action after a student’s George Floyd tweet.
Jaden McNeil, head of the school’s American First Student organization, congratulated Floyd on Thursday in a tweet “for being drug-free for an entire month!” Floyd, a black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. While others on social media viewed McNeil’s tweet as “just a joke,” many of the K-State athletes weren’t laughing.
Freshman cornerback Tee Denson tweeted that he refuses to play for a show that “tolerates ignorance like this.” Defensive defender Tyrone Lewis Jr. wrote on Twitter that McNeil’s tweet was unacceptable and “Something has to change !!”
Christianna Carr, a member of the women’s basketball team, released a statement on Friday collectively saying “as black student athletes we will NEVER accept this type of action” and stated that if they do not see the change “we will not play or participate.” at any donor or recruitment event. “The statement was also tweeted by senior defenseman Jonathan Alexander.
The statement calls on the university an anti-racism policy to “expel any student who openly displays racism on all platforms” and for “strong consequences” for McNeil.
The school has responded to the athletes’ complaints. University President Richard Myers tweeted a statement Friday on the official Kansas state Twitter account.
“The callous comments posted by a K-State student hurt our entire community. These divisive statements do not represent the values of our university, ”said Myers. “We condemn racism and intolerance in all its forms. We are launching an immediate review of college options. Black Lives Matter at Kansas State University and we will continue to fight for social justice. ”
Kansas State soccer coach Chris Klieman and athletic director Gene Taylor tweeted their support for the athletes.
“Recent tweets from a K-State student that downplay the effort of Black Lives Matter and the tragic and foolish death of George Floyd are disgusting and totally inappropriate and do not reflect who we are as a university or our athletic department,” wrote Taylor.
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