Idaho police launch investigation after University of Utah’s women’s basketball team said it was targeted with racial slurs forcing them to move hotels during March Madness
Idaho police have launched an investigation into allegations that the University of Utah women’s basketball team made racist comments.
Utah coach Lynne Roberts said Monday that her team experienced a series of “racial hate crimes” after arriving in March Madness, forcing them to change hotels during the event due to safety concerns.
Police are now investigating surveillance footage that shows the team leaving a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where they said they were racially harassed. The incident happened according to the camera Good morning America.
As the players left the restaurant, “two lifted pickup trucks revved their engines and drove by,” the Coeur d’Alene Police report said.
The trucks were said to have turned around and the occupants “yelled a racial slur” at the group with some African-American members.
Utah coach Lynne Roberts says her team experienced ‘racial hate crimes’ after arriving in Spokane for March Madness
Roberts’ team was defeated 77-66 by Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament
The threatening behavior reportedly continued after dinner as the team was followed to their hotel.
Jim Hammond, the mayor of Coeur d’Alene, apologized to the team, saying, “We all stand with you.” We embrace you.’
Roberts revealed what happened after Utah lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night. The 48-year-old did not go into detail but said there were several incidents on Thursday evening that were so disturbing that concerns were raised for their safety.
Utah was staying about 30 miles from Spokane, where Monday’s game took place, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and was moved to another hotel on Friday.
“We had several instances of racial hate crimes against our program and (it was) incredibly disturbing for all of us,” Roberts said after her team’s 77-66 loss to Gonzaga.
“You think in our world, in athletics and in college, it’s shocking. There is so much diversity on a university campus and you don’t often come into contact with that.
“You have people saying, ‘Man, I can’t believe this happened.’ But racism is real and it happens, and it’s terrible. So for our players, whether they’re white, black, green or whatever, no one knew how to deal with it and it was really disturbing.
“It’s a mess when our players and staff don’t feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment.”
Utah, South Dakota State and UC Irvine all stayed in hotels in Idaho, even with Gonzaga as the host school, due to a lack of hotel space in the Spokane area.
Several years ago, the city was announced as hosting the first and second rounds of the men’s NCAA tournament, and the weekend also hosted a major regional youth volleyball tournament in the area.
This left limited hotel space and Gonzaga received a waiver from the NCAA to house teams in Coeur d’Alene.
The 48-year-old coach revealed that Utah was forced to move hotels before the game after being targeted with racial hatred
Roberts said the NCAA and Gonzaga were working to move the team after the first night. “It was a distraction, disturbing and unfortunate,” she added.
‘This should be positive for everyone involved. This should be a joyful time for our program and it’s a shame to have a bit of a black eye on the experience.
Gonzaga released a statement after Roberts finished speaking, saying its first priority is the safety and well-being of everyone participating in the event.
“We are frustrated and deeply saddened to know that what should always be a great visitor and championship experience has been compromised in any way by this situation, as it in no way reflects the values, standards and beliefs to which we at Gonzaga University holds ourselves accountable,” the statement said.