Home Sports UW Athletics to Develop New Hate Speech Policy

UW Athletics to Develop New Hate Speech Policy

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Community leaders Kaleem Caire and Anthony Cooper discuss policy with UW Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and basketball assistant coach Howard Moore. Several other community and student leaders also attended the meeting. Photo courtesy Michael Johnson.

The University of Wisconsin Athletic Department will enact a new policy regarding racially offensive costumes or signs at games following a meeting between Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and local African American student and community leaders.

The policy will be developed over the next week and take effect in time for the next home football game November 12 versus Illinois. it will apply to all UW sports and home sporting events.

Michael Johnson, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and an attendee of the meeting, said the goal is to draft a new policy by November 9 “with input from community and student leaders with the ultimate goal of keeping UW Athletics a place that continues to feel safe and inviting for all students.”

p_obamanooseThe new policy development effort comes after a fan at Saturday’s game versus Nebraska wore a mask depicting President Obama while another fan, wearing a Donald Trump mask, held a noose around his neck. Many students and community members criticized the university’s response, which was to ask the fan to remove the noose. Both the athletic department and UWPD said they found the costume offensive but did not ask the man to leave the game because the costume constituted free speech.

Stay tuned to Madison365 for more details as the story develops.