A Valdosta State University baseball coach is under fire after a viral video showed him telling a black student that he could not play on the team because his hair was too long.
Valdosta head baseball coach Greg Guilliams was secretly recorded by student Asher Akridge as the two sat in a meeting in which Guilliams was explaining that he cut Akridge from the team because the student refused to comply with the team’s rules on hair length, the New York Post reports.
Akridge posted the video to TikTok with the caption, “Valdosta State University 2023 or 1945.”
“If you complied with what I said, you’d got your hair cut and I wouldn’t had to keep telling you about it,” Guilliams says in the video.
Guilliams says he is sorry for not being more strict on the rules with Akridge from the beginning and for giving the player too much time to comply.
“In all fairness to you, here’s where I failed, what I should’ve done from the very beginning and I didn’t do it, this is my fault and I could see how I gave you the wrong impression, so I’m not gonna totally blame you because it takes two with everything,” the coach says.
Akridge goes on to point out that other players have longer hair, but the coach isn’t throwing them off the team. But the coach waives that point off.
“We are not talking about other guys, I told you before on the phone, we are not going down that route. Why would I go down this route again?” Guilliams says.
“I don’t care what anybody else says, this is between you and me, I’m the head coach, it doesn’t matter what any other player says,” the coach added.
“I’m the one that sets the rules, I can set whatever rule I want,” the coach insists.
@asherthegreat24 Massa please. I’s will be a good boy! #valdostastateuniversity ♬ SkeeYee – Sexyy Red
But Akridge points out that he did cut his hair and adds, “I don’t know why we are having this conversation.”
Indeed, the paper’s report shows two photos of Akridge, one when he played for Jacksonville State University in 2022, which shows the student with long hair in dreadlocks past his shoulders. And one Friday, which shows his dreads cut to just below his ears.
Valdosta State has said that it is investigating the incident.
“In keeping with the Valdosta State University Non-Discrimination Policy, the university is committed to maintaining a fair, respectful, and non-discriminatory environment for all,” the university said in its statement.
But the school added, “The VSU Office of Human Resources is conducting a comprehensive inquiry into the current matter and will address any personnel actions that are deemed to violate university policy if the inquiry reveals anything. We are progressing through the required due process procedures.”
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