Virginia Tech women's lacrosse team apologizes for singing N word in controversial video
The coach for Virginia Tech’s women’s lacrosse team has issued an apology after some of his players were caught on film repeating a racial slur as they sang along to a rap song, the Roanoke Times reports.
The video, which surfaced on social media last weekend, shows the female players blasting “Freaky Friday,” a rap hit performed by rapper and comedian Lil Dicky, who is white, and features Chris Brown. The lyrics include multiple uses of the N word, which the young women, all of whom appear to be white, shout in the video below.
“This is a teachable moment,” coach John Sung told the Roanoke Times about the incident. “It’s not something that we’re proud of. The team is very apologetic and sorry. There’s nobody of any color that should say it. Period. There’s nobody that should say it.
“There was no malice involved,” he added. “They just thought that they were singing along to a song. … They’re good kids that made a bad decision.
“We’re trying to do what’s right. This isn’t something that we sweep under the rug. The team is extremely sorry. They’re trying to make it right. And I know that we’ll never make it right with anybody, but … this is a moment that defines this program but yet a moment that will help this program be better.
“They’ve got to be educated to make better decisions,” Sung continued. “They’ve got to know what’s socially acceptable, and I think they’re learning all those things. It’s a lot on me as the leader. People forget — I’m a minority.”
According to a statement posted on Twitter, “members of the Virginia Tech Athletics administration and coaches have met with the full team.” Sung did not clarify whether the players involved would face any disciplinary action.
Deadspin reports that the video was filmed by an unnamed player after the team’s win on March 24 and was soon posted to Snapchat. The video was eventually shared on YouTube and Twitter, where it sparked controversy and backlash. A source claims that the original poster got in touch begging for the video to be removed, explaining that it was done “out of innocence.”
The player also allegedly blamed a male friend for making the video public in an “invasion” of her and her teammates’ privacy. She added that she was “ashamed” and fearful for her safety.
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