Harvard University suspended its men’s soccer team for the remainder of the season because of sexual comments made about members of the women’s soccer team.
University President Drew Faust said in a statement Thursday night that an investigation into the 2012 team found that their “appalling” actions were not isolated to one year or the actions of a few, but appeared to be more widespread across the team and continued through the current season.
“The decision to cancel a season is serious and consequential, and reflects Harvard’s view that both the team’s behavior and the failure to be forthcoming when initially questioned are completely unacceptable, have no place at Harvard, and run counter to the mutual respect that is a core value of our community,” Faust said.
A 2012 document uncovered last month by The Harvard Crimson student newspaper rated the attractiveness of recruits on the women’s team and included lewd comments about them. Members of the men’s team called it their “scouting report” and circulated it online.
“I was saddened and disappointed to learn that the extremely offensive ‘scouting report’ produced by the 2012 men’s soccer team continued through the current season,” Dean Rakesh Khurana said in a statement. “As I have stated, such behavior is antithetical to Harvard’s fundamental values.”
Athletics Director Robert Scalise sent an email to student athletes Thursday announcing that the university was canceling the remainder of the team’s season, including postseason play. The men’s soccer team is currently in first place in the Ivy League. Scalise said the team would forfeit its remaining games and decline any opportunity to achieve an Ivy League championship or participate in the NCAA tournament this year.
“As we move forward, Harvard Athletics will partner with the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and other Harvard College resources to take additional steps to further educate the members of our men’s soccer team, and all of our student-athletes, about the seriousness of these behaviors and the general standard of respect and conduct that is expected,” Scalise said in the email.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
A team is suspended over locker room talk! Seams to be an over
reaction to a minor, PC, offense. More and more folks are “wearing
their feeling on their shirt sleeves” in their taking an offense with
anything they perceive as offensive. It is becoming a control issue
with the PC crowd by branding anything contrary to their own set
norms, no matter how trivial it might be. It is just talk and most likely
more BS then anything else. So, what is the big deal over locker
room jawing that Harvard authorities need to get involved?
Young men need to learn respect. How would they like it if others spoke the same way about their mothers or their sisters??
2012? Where were these Internet Police in 2012? So we’re going to punish a team that has nothing to do with 2012. I’ve got a new team name for Harvard. The Vomit!! Yeah Vomit. We’re going to win Vomit. Give me a V—–
Reading comprehension: A disrespectful & lewd “scouting report” was started in 2012. It didn’t stop there. It continues to the current team. AND, it was circulated on line.
The women’s soccer team deserves to be treated with respect by the men’s team. Instead they are subjected to lewd comments. How demeaning & embarrassing.