A former Amherst College men's lacrosse coach who was fired before he coached a game for the school alleged Friday in a federal lawsuit that he became a victim of Amherst's . 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. The Amherst College mens lacrosse team has a recent history of controversy. Subject: Amherst Lacrosse? MIDDLEPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) - State Police report that Joseph Ferrante of Sunbilt Living was arrested and charged with grand larceny and scheming to defraud. This weekend is the first anniversary of the lacrosse meltdown at Amherst College, an ugly chain of events that continues to wreak havoc on the program. Descendents of British Slave Trading Architects Offer Reparations Compensation to University. 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. He is survived by his parents, Glenn and Lydia, an older brother, Connor, and other relatives, it says. Amherst athletes are required to follow the behavioral standards set by the athletic department and the College honor code as well.. Ferrante, 72, of Lancaster, was arrested and charged with felony grand . That may have been a reference to the firing of lacrosse coach Jon Thompson, who was dismissed by the school last month. 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. The team will not participate in NCAA postseason play next year. In fact, I can think of no legitimate reason why any white person would use it, whether it is directed at a specific person or not. Elon Musk Says Media Is Racist Against White People In Defense Of Dilbert Cartoonists Rant. wonder if that played a role in giving these kids an aura of invincibility. 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. Apparently, members of the team, the Mammoths, chanted nigger at a black team member who then punched one of his teammates for the offense. 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. 2023 NAACP Image Awards: Get Familiar with Gospel Veteran Erica Campbell. Need even more lacrosse information? Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. 2023 NAACP Image Awards: 5 Things to Know About the Fashion Trailblazer Turned Advocate Bethann Hardison. Amherst College suspends men's lacrosse team, fires coach following racist incident Posted: Mar 22, 2020 / 01:04 PM EDT Updated: Mar 22, 2020 / 01:04 PM EDT AMHERST, Mass. Amherst College in Massachusetts has fired its men's lacrosse coach and put the entire team on probation because of a string of horrifying racist incidents. [CDATA[ In fact, theyre so serious that according to the Gazette, college officials fired the teams head coach of nearly 10 years, Jon Thompson, despite the fact that he led the Mammoths to its first national championship game last season, closing out the year ranked at no. Milford, NH 03055. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Posted a week after the school announced the sanctions against the team, Martin said college officials had identified three areas of the school in need of systemic change, including a robust policy and set of procedures for dealing with identity-based discrimination and/or harassment, a bias-reporting protocol, which has been the focus of the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion and, when implemented, will include features of the best available models, and the development and use of restorative practices, where they are appropriate, to deal with conflict and violations.. After the white lacrosse players chanted the n-word outside of their Black. AMHERST Amherst College has placed its nationally ranked men's lacrosse program on probation for the 2021 spring season and fired head coach Jon Thompson following a racially charged. According toAmherst Student, the incident occured on March 7 on the campus of the Massachusetts' college. "The incident that occurred nearly two weeks ago involved the use by some members of the lacrosse team of racist, harassing speechin the form of the "n-word." The use of this slur carries the historical weight of centuries-long violence and hatred toward black Americans. Mon-Fri, 8am - 4pm. The lawsuit alleges that there was more to Devoes removal than was officially communicated by the school. "Aidan was known for his infectious smile, being a good friend, and a tremendous athlete," the obituary reads. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkAmherstMLax-HG-032220,ph1'); So yeah, please dont fall into the trap of believing that white Baby Boomers and their predecessors leaving the Earth will somehow eradicate racism. That process is underway. The incident that inspired the suspension allegedly involved the use by some members of the lacrosse team of racist, harassing speech. That speech reportedly included the racial slur nigger.. As a condition of being allowed to play in the Spring 2021 season, the following terms of probation will be required of the team: 1. He also enjoyed cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, including making homemade pickles with his mother. The incident that occurred nearly two weeks ago involved the use by some members of the lacrosse team of racist, harassing speechin the form of the n-word. The use of this slur carries the historical weight of centuries-long violence and hatred toward black Americans. As a redshirt freshman, Kaminska was named "Rookie of the Week" following a three-goal performance in a game against Hofstra University, which offered its "deepest condolences to the Kaminska family and the (UMass lacrosse) community" in a statement on Twitter. Those cases include sharing photos of a teammate with a swastika drawn on his face who had passed out at a party, and GroupMe exchanges denigrating and ridiculing gender-nonconforming and trans staff.. 1995 saw the team grow as they went 7-9, losing four games by a goal. University of Massachusetts-Amherst lacrosse player Aidan Kaminska was found dead at 19. The student community at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is mourning after a 19-year-old student and star lacrosse player died "unexpectedly" Monday. 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. 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. In short, we cannot ignore the harmful culture that exists on the mens lacrosse team, and its damage to our community.. Please take the time to review the below information and view the below links. The letter described several other incidents that led to a decision of this nature. 7 in the nation. Judge Upholds Firing Of Police Officer Who Shot Breonna Taylor. We will review whether this prohibition will continue into additional future seasons at the conclusion of the Spring 2021 season. Over the summer, Amherst College received a wrongful termination lawsuit from former mens lacrosse Head Coach Rashad Devoe. 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. Participation in athletics at Amherst is a privilege, not a right, the letter said. COURTESY GEOFFREY BOLTE/CLARUS STUDIOS INC./AMHERST COLLEGE, Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); The black lacrosse player then punched one of the players using the vulgar language. the coach was, at least in the past, known as very progressive in terms of encouraging his players to do the right thing and be thoughtful. It is important that everyone understands the symptoms, risks, and management of a suspected brain injury. Thompson led the Mammoths to its first national championship game last season, and the team was ranked No. It began with a 25-15 loss at Tufts on March 7, followed by a night of commiserating at Jenkins Hall. 7 in the nation before the season was cut short due to the recent pandemic, will now miss out on the 2021 postseason. Box 1013. The team over recent years has been responsible for other violations, including vandalism in the dorms, overtaxing our custodial and facilities staff, and at times creating unsafe conditions. 7 in the country this year before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sweet Briar Lacrosse Team was presented with a plaque and flowers after a home game February 22, 2023, for their efforts in raising money for the Amherst County Special Olympics. All rights reserved. Those cases include sharing photos of a teammate with a swastika drawn on his face who had passed out at a party, and GroupMe exchanges denigrating and ridiculing gender-nonconforming and trans staff. After beating Salisbury, the Generals are rising the rankings fast. Chantal Da Silva is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital based in London. All rights reserved. He had played on a number of travel lacrosse teams, including Legacy Lacrosse, of which he was a member of the championship team that won the World Series of Youth Lacrosse in 2016. If any member of the mens lacrosse team is found responsible under our Student Code of Conduct for a violation related to: respect for persons (including, but not limited to, racism); vandalism; or sexual misconduct, then the teams entire Spring 2021 season may be cancelled. The Jumbos jumped up to the #6 seed in NESCAC with wins over the last two weekends at Amherst (2-0) and Hamilton (2-1) and on home ice . The probation is set to last until June 30, 2021, with the team now required to complete educational training and other programs following the incident targeting a Black teammate. It is, unfortunately, only the most recent in a list of deeply troubling cases involving some team members over the years. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; Martins letter added that the lacrosse players have been uncooperative in the investigation into the N-word incident, with players refusing to name the individual responsible for starting the racist chant. 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 . "Aidan had numerous friends and was an inspiration to many. Amherst athletics is among the oldest and most prestigious athletic programs in the country. 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. 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. Finally, we have also concluded that a change in leadership for the lacrosse team will be necessary. The USA Lacrosse Players of the Week honors the top performers in each division. In addition to probation, team members are barred from participating in any formal team gatherings, including player-led practices and bonding activities, until Nov. 1, 2020. I am committed to ensuring that we take those steps for the benefit of the entire Amherst community, Martin said. Amherst College swiftly fired then-coach Jon Thompson and hired Devoe as his replacement, with the expectation that Devoe would rebuild the program by creating a more inclusive team environment. The team, which ranked No. University of Massachusetts Amherst lacrosse player Aidan Kaminska died "unexpectedly" on May 30, according to an online obituary. Participation in athletics at Amherst is a privilege, not a right. College Men. Shawna Chen, a former reporter for the Amherst Student, confirmed the students' identities. History. The team has also been accused of using language that ridiculed the transgender community. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; Amherst College has placed its men's lacrosse team on probation and is firing the team's coach following complaints that players used a racial slur. 3. 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 suspension continues a trend of universities and college suspending entire sports teams over the actions of a small group of players. The alleged verbal mistreatment occurred after athletes reportedly held a practice outside on an Amherst College green, in violation of the colleges COVID-19 rules. All five mens lacrosse team captains who graduate this year also did not respond to queries regarding the suspension. Martin chastised the team for refusing to identify the players that allegedly participated in the conflict. 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. var photocredit = "'CHRIS WRIGHT/CLARUS STUDIOS INC./AMHERST COLLEGE' 'Amherst College coach Jon Thompson, right, watches from the sidelines during a mens lacrosse game against Bowdoin on March 9, 2019. 1. But it didnt end there. 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. AMHERST Amherst College has placed its nationally ranked mens lacrosse program on probation for the 2021 spring season and fired head coach Jon Thompson following a racially charged incident earlier this month. Box 1013 Milford, NH 03055 Email Inquiries related to Jamboree or NHYLA Festival and fundraising: souheganlax@gmail.com Upcoming Games none available In December 2018, another incident occurred at a mens lacrosse party in which a swastika was drawn on the forehead of an unconscious student. While the college declined to name the students involved in the incident, social media users took to Twitter to demand the students in question be expelled from school. 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. It marked the second reported bias incident involving the mens lacrosse team within the past year. 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