To Force or to

Encourage?

Jasmine Horne
RECR 228:01
4/14/2015

The Dilemma

Barring a class conflict, the V-Tech

football players were required to attend
a Take Back the Night event by AD and
Coach.
TBTN events efforts are bring people
together in protesting sexual violence.
Approximately 105 players attended
and were required to wear team-issued
sweatsuits.
Womanspace, a campus org for feminist
activism, coordinated the event
featuring speakers from the
transgender community and survivors
of sexual assault.
During the speeches, players were
allegedly being disruptive and
insensitive.

Alleged Actions

Arriving late
Talking
Texting and snickering throughout the event
Leaving early
Despite being directly asked during a speaker's presentation to return to their
seats

"They just sort of rolled their eyes and walked away,"

Womanspace co-President Malavika Sahai

even from a distance it was clear the people wearing "football gear" were
laughing during speakers' accounts of sexual assaults. -Malavika Sahai
"They would text each other and then yell across the room to each other to
check their phones,
-Sheree Jean, a 2013 Tech graduate who is a volunteer with Raft Crisis Hotline

One
Side
Associate Director of Athletics Communications Jimmy

Robertson said:
Coach Frank Beamer wanted to show support of the cause and the group, while also using the event as an opportunity to educate
our players on one of the many diversity and inclusive events sponsored by Virginia Tech.

Athletic Director Whit Babcock released a statement

saying:

"We have implemented multiple educational sessions with all of our teams and student-athletes this academic year regarding sexual
assault, sexual harassment, diversity and inclusion, gender equity and more. Having our football team attend this speech was
actually an aspect of this initiative.
Babcock said insensitive and inattentive behavior was not reflective of the department's values. He apologized to those offended
by players alleged actions and pledged to address them "swiftly and thoroughly. (www.altheticbusiness.com)

Coach Beamer wrote in his statement:

that he and the staff were aware of the negative comments attributed to the players and upon learning of the accusations met
with the entire team "immediately" to address the matter.

The Other Side

A player sitting beside Sheree Jean turned around to

his teammates following a presentation from a gender
nonconforming individual and said, We do not clap for
this
Thomas Friss, 2013 graduate and former Womanspace
member, said it appeared the players had been forced
to attend.
Friss also said that some players said Why are we
even here?
Susan Anderson, Virginia Tech senior instructor and
Womanspace facility adviser, said:

There were many football players there that were wonderful participants, and there were some that weren't so
wonderful.

My Side

Should players be forced/required to attend certain

educational events on campus? -No
Players should be encouraged/required to attend
educational events on campus, OF THEIR CHOICE!
Many people have different opinions and feelings
on certain things, in which they are entitled to.
Although the intentions were good, you should
know your team and should be able to predict how
they would behave in a specific setting.

Efforts
The athletic department hosted a meeting to address

the situation with those who attended the event.

The meeting was closed to the public and reporters

were not be allowed to attend
Questions left unanswered:

-Whether or not it was required of the players to attend

-How the situation was being handled by the team

No football players were in attendance which was by

request