The University of Maryland has suspended its entire club tennis team indefinitely after some members emailed racist imagery to other university tennis clubs ahead of a fall tournament in College Park. The team forfeited all of its matches in the tournament, which continued for every other participating team.
University recreation staff, known as RecWell, learned on Saturday that club tennis members had sent what the university described as programming material with a graphic containing racist imagery, according to NBC Washington. The university said the graphic targeted people who are Black or African American. The material had been emailed to regional university tennis clubs ahead of the tournament, as reported by FOX 5 DC.
University Response and Apology
In a statement, the University of Maryland said it was horrified and expressed its regret and a sincere apology for the harm caused. The station's report notes the suspension remains pending an investigation by the university's Office of Student Conduct, which will determine what happens next for the program.
Student leaders from the club tennis team met in person with visiting team captains to take responsibility, apologize, and acknowledge the incident, per the same account. Team leadership also sent an apology email to every invited club program expressing the university's regret and sincere apology for the harm caused, a message that went out to all of the other teams involved.
Matter Referred to Campus Police
The incident has also been referred to the University of Maryland Police Department, the university said. Per university policy on threatening and intimidating conduct, when campus police identify a student, student group, or student organization as potentially engaging in prohibited conduct, the matter is referred to the Office of Student Conduct for investigation and adjudication. The policy defines the relevant prohibited conduct as threatening or intimidating acts motivated by an actual or perceived protected status. Students, student groups, and student organizations found responsible under that process may face disciplinary or educational sanctions under the Code of Student Conduct.
WRC-TV, which reported the suspension and tournament forfeiture, is WBAL News Radio's sister station in Washington. According to that reporting, the fall tournament in College Park went on as scheduled for the remaining teams even as UMD's squad sat out under suspension.
The USTA Tennis on Campus national championship is held in April.
