The Duke volleyball player who endured endless racial slurs during a match at BYU criticized officials on Sunday (Aug. 28) who “failed to take the necessary steps” to stop the racist heckler when they were made aware of the situation.
BYU issued an apology the day after the Friday (Aug. 26) match. But Rachel Richardson,19, stated BYU coaches and officials failed instantly after the match to sufficiently address the situation that created an unsafe environment for her and other Black athletes on Duke’s team.
Richardson shared a lengthy statement on Twitter on Sunday morning that she and her other Black teammates were “targeted and racially heckled throughout the entirety of the match,” and that neither BYU officials nor game officials reacted well enough to help protect them both in the moment and after the contest had ended.
“The slurs and comments grew into threats which caused us to feel unsafe,” Richardson wrote. “Both the officials and BYU coaching staff were made aware of the incident during the game but failed to take the necessary steps to stop the unacceptable behavior to create a safe environment. As a result, my teammates and I had to struggle to get through the rest of the game instead of just being able to focus on our playing so that we could compete at the highest level possible.
“They also failed to adequately address the situation immediately following the game when it was brought to their attention again. No athlete, regardless of their race, should ever be subject to such hostile conditions.”
Richardson praised BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe for his assistance. BYU has since banned a fan from all athletic venues on campus and said that the man in question was not a BYU student.
Richardson was reportedly supposed to meet with BYU coach Heather Olmstead about the incident, too, but Olmstead reportedly didn’t show up to the meeting.
Richardson said it was never their intention to call BYU out, “but rather to call them up.”
“This is not the first time this has happened in college athletics, and sadly it likely will not be the last time,” she said. “However, each time it happens we as student athletes, coaches, fans, and administrators have a chance to educate those who act in hateful ways. This is an opportunity to dig deep into closed cultures that tolerate amoral racist acts, such as those exhibited Friday night, and change them for the better.