The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced this week it had imposed an undisclosed fine on Morehouse College after determining the Atlanta-based institution failed to meet mandatory safety protocols following Saturday's men's basketball game, when Tuskegee University's head coach was handcuffed by law enforcement.
"In accordance with SIAC Policy 1.9 (Security), the conference determined that Morehouse College did not satisfy the required security standards for a host institution, specifically as it relates to crowd control and ensuring the safe entry and exit of visiting teams and game participants," the conference said in a statement, as reported by Walter Hudson of The EDU Ledger.
Videos that circulated widely on social media over the weekend showed Tuskegee head coach Benjy Taylor being placed in handcuffs following his team's loss to Morehouse, which allowed members of its football team to join the basketball team in the postgame handshake line. Taylor voiced his concern about the handshake line, but was not charged with any crime.
Related: College Basketball Coach Handcuffed After Protesting Football Players in Handshake Line
Taylor has retained Harry Daniels, a nationally prominent civil rights attorney, and is considering legal action over the incident. Daniels said Taylor was handcuffed while attempting to request that security remove Morehouse football players from the court, which he said violated conference-mandated security protocols.
On Monday, Tuskegee University president Dr. Mark Brown met with Taylor, the basketball team and other administrators to address the incident, Hudson reported. In a Facebook post, the Alabama-based university said Brown congratulated the student-athletes for their conduct during and after Saturday's events.
"Each of the leaders acknowledged the emotions stemming from what happened while encouraging the players to channel their energy into what matters most, achieving excellence in the classroom and on the court," the university stated.
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, founded in 1913, is one of the nation's oldest athletic conferences and is composed entirely of historically Black colleges and universities.
“The SIAC holds its member institutions to the highest standards of sportsmanship, professionalism, and institutional accountability,” said SIAC commissioner Anthony Holloman, as reported by HBCU Gameday. “Our historic institutions are expected to provide competitive environments that prioritize the safety, dignity, and mutual respect of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and fans. The conference remains committed to upholding these expectations and to ensuring that all SIAC contests are conducted in a manner consistent with our shared values."
