Washington University in St. Louis on Friday suspended its men’s soccer team for reasons that have become increasingly familiar in recent weeks among elite institutions of higher education: what the university described as “degrading and sexually explicit comments” online by team members about their counterparts on the women’s team.
Friday’s announcement followed a similar move this week against the men’s swimming and diving team at Princeton University; the wrestling team at Columbia University last month; the men’s cross-country team at Amherst College this month; and the men’s soccer and cross-country teams at Harvard University this fall.
“We are saddened and deeply troubled by these allegations and are taking them very seriously,” said Lori S. White, Washington University’s vice chancellor for student affairs, in a written statement. “Let me be clear: There is absolutely no place at Washington University for sexism, discrimination, or harassment of any kind.”
The university acted after the women’s soccer team reported the alleged abusive comments as well as unspecified “other inappropriate behavior” this week. The soccer season is over, but the university said an investigation was continuing, and could result in “subsequent actions” against the men’s team or its players.
