The Harvard women’s hockey team once again finds itself under scrutiny over allegations of hazing and abuse that included “naked skates,” forced drinking, and mimicked sex acts.
The allegations were revealed in a report from The Athletic.
According to the report, written by Katie Strang and Hailey Salvian, much of the alleged hazing occurred at what was referred to as “Freshman Fun Night.” During these “fun nights,” the report claims, freshman players were told to “put condoms on bananas, fake orgasms, and act out skills that referenced their sexual orientation.”
Strang and Salvian spoke with dozens of former players spanning two decades while researching the story.
Harvards Taze Thompson (rt) celebrates her 2nd period goal with teammates behind her, as BCs Gaby Roy skates by. Harvard University women’s hockey team versus Boston College women’s hockey team in the Womens Beanpot Final at Matthews Arena in Boston on Feb. 8, 2022. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Not everyone who participated in the “naked skates” was opposed to them, according to The Athletic. Some were concerned about whether camera footage of the event would be leaked. While others seemed to acknowledge the skate as a rite of passage.
There were reports, however, that the naked skate would sometimes turn into a naked slide where freshmen were told to mimic a “Superman” slide on the ice while unclothed. Which reportedly left some players with “ice burns and bleeding nipples.”
No definitive link between Harvard women’s hockey head coach Katey Stone and the alleged hazing rituals was found by The Athletic’s investigation Though, one player did tell Strang and Salvian that coach Stone once said, “there’s not a single thing on this team that goes on that I don’t know about.”
Harvard women’s head coach Katey Stone (Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Stone first came under scrutiny in January when the Boston Globe published a report claiming that in 2022 the coach had used abusive language towards two players of Native American descent by saying there were “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.”
However, in an email sent to a player after Stone’s alleged comments to the two Native American players, Harvard Athletics Director Erin McDermott told the player that coach Stone was “not under investigation.” Instead, McDermott characterized the inquiry into Stone as a “‘deeper dive’ into players’ experiences that would involve ‘conversations’ with a faculty member and assistant dean,” the Athletic wrote.
Neither Stone nor McDermott agreed to be interviewed for The Athletic’s story.
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