An assistant football coach at Vanderbilt University has been temporarily relieved of his duties after posting support for embattled rapper Kanye West in the wake of his antisemitic remarks.
On his personal Facebook page, defensive backs coach Dan Jackson wrote, “Kanye is two steps ahead of everyone.” The coach also wrote, “He’s not crazy.” In the post, the coach also said that people try to silence West because he “speaks for himself.” The coach also said that more people need to “wake up and speak their mind.”
The post was flagged and captioned by groups fighting against antisemitism.
Jackson has apologized for his post.
“I accept full responsibility for my words and will learn from this experience going forward,” Jackson said.
Vanderbilt Athletic Director Candice Lee reiterated that the university stands against antisemitism.
“Coach Jackson and I have agreed that he will step back from his responsibilities with the team,” Lee said. “To be clear, Vanderbilt rejects antisemitism, racism and discrimination in all its forms.”
Jackson is in his first year at Vanderbilt.