The University of Maryland has suspended its tennis team after learning that racist imagery was included in program materials sent out to tennis organizations to promote a fall tournament on campus.
According to CBS, Maryland has already reached out to the organizations that received the materials to apologize.
"The Maryland Club Tennis student organization distributed programming material with a graphic containing racist imagery targeting people who are Black or African American," the statement said. "They emailed this information to other university tennis clubs in the region about this weekend's fall tournament at College Park."
The racist imagery reportedly included a graphic that depicted Ku Klux Klan hoods.
Howard University, an HBCU institution, was one of the organizations that received the materials and was planning on participating in the event.
UMD was "horrified" by the incident and expressed "its regret and sincere apology for the harm that this has caused."
"In addition to UMD club tennis apologizing and forfeiting its matches, UMD's director of [RecWell] issued an apology to the club presidents of all the participating teams," it added.
The incident was immediately referred to campus police by RecWell, which runs the team, and the school's Office of Student Conduct is also investigating the matter.
RecWell suspended the entire Maryland Club Tennis Team, noting that only a few members of the team had taken part in the incident.
"I know I'm not the person who opened the message, but just the fact that it targeted my group — targeted African Americans — it just makes me feel some type of way," freshman and club tennis member Camryn Brrant, who wasn't a part of the incident, told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "I'm interacting with these people all the time, and I've been nothing but nice to everyone who was here, so it's just really sad and disturbing."
Bryant said she didn't understand why the people sent the materials.
"I don't know if they feel threatened by us. I just don't understand what went through their head as they sent it," Bryant said.
Although Maryland's club tennis team has been suspended and issued a general apology, Howard's team said "true accountability has yet to come."
Howard is calling for a public apology to the university and its tennis club, a formal investigation to determine who created the document containing the imagery, and sensitivity training for Maryland club team leaders and advisers.
The team is also asking for funds from the tournament to be donated to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to promote cultural awareness.
On Monday evening, Howard University released a statement about the situation. "There is no place for racism, intimidation, or imagery rooted in hatred and racial violence in collegiate athletics, on our campuses, or anywhere in our society," the statement read. "The imagery displayed evoked a painful history of racial terror and exclusion that has no place in an environment dedicated to learning, personal development, and mutual respect."
The statement went on to say that the university stands firmly in support of the students who participated in the tournament. "They deserved an experience defined by fair competition and mutual respect and their dignity, safety, and well-being remain our highest priorities," it stated.
"Howard University will remain engaged with the University of Maryland as its investigation proceeds. As institutions of higher learning, we share a responsibility not only to confront acts of racism but also to foster communities where respect for the humanity of others is an expectation, not merely an aspiration."
