Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith issued a statement late Tuesday night after a Michigan State hockey player alleged that an Ohio State player directed a racial slur at him.
The Spartans defeated the Ohio State 4-3 in a game at home on November 11th.
Joshua said that the opposing player was given a game misconduct penalty for saying something to the official. There was only one player given a game misconduct on that day.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Jagger Joshua (@jaggerjoshua8)
Smith apologized on behalf of Ohio State and said that Sadlocha is not with the team.
I would like to apologize to Joshua. Smith apologized on behalf of the university. Everyone should feel welcome and no student or athlete should experience hatred or racism. I spoke with Alan Haller, the athletic director of Michigan State, and I'm happy he's supporting him.
Over the last week, the department of athletics has worked through the on-ice incident and spoken with the rest of the team, and they will not be practicing or competing at this time.
I met with the men's hockey team and will be meeting with them again soon. The team will finish education on racial sensitivity, diversity, equity, inclusion and respectful dialog. We will support them through this process.
The Big Ten supported the in-game penalty on the Ohio State Buckeyes, but decided against further punishment.
The Big Ten did not impose further action due to the lack of evidence.
If racism in the sport isn't acknowledged, it will get worse, according to Joshua.
Joshua said that acts of racism in hockey can discourage African Americans and minorities from playing and loving the game. Actions in the face of racist comments allow the behavior to continue.
The lack of action has left me confused and pessimistic.
Ohio State said it worked with the Big Ten to come to a resolution.
The school said it was focused on providing an inclusive environment for all.
The AP contributed.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
