Michigan State senior Jagger Joshua has accused an Ohio State player of directing a racial slur his way during a recent game.
Joshua posted his accusation to social media on Monday, exclaiming that “Acts of racism do not belong in hockey.”
“Acts of racism do not belong in hockey, as they can discourage African Americans and minorities like myself from playing and loving the game,” Joshua twitted. “Inaction in the face of racist comments and actions allow these behaviors to continue.”
“On November 11th in our game against Ohio State, one of their players called me a racial slur multiple times,” Joshua added. “One of the officials heard the slur and gave the player a game misconduct penalty. There was an investigation by the Big Ten in the days after the incident, but not further action has been taken by the Big Ten conference or Ohio State.”
“The inaction has left me feeling confused and pessimistic about the movement of diversity within hockey culture,” Joshua exclaimed. “The ignorance of racism does not belong in our game, and I feel that I need to make people aware that this incident occurred, because without acknowledgment, the problem gets worse.”
The Big Ten, though, insists that they can find no proof of the accusation.
“Due to the absence of indisputable evidence presented to the conference, the conference has not imposed further disciplinary action,” the Big Ten said in a statement.
“The Big Ten Conference is committed to providing our student-athletes inclusive environments free from acts of harassment or discrimination in any form,” the statement added. “The safety and well-being of our campus communities remains our top priority.”
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale released a statement saying he is “proud” of Joshua but did not necessarily support the player’s accusations.
“At Michigan State, we are committed to a safe and welcoming space for our student-athletes,” Nightingale said in a statement to Twitter on Monday. “It is important to me that all student-athletes feel comfortable and supported in our locker room and in our program. I am proud to have Jagger Joshua on our team.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.