CAMBRIDGE (WHDH) – Harvard University has canceled the remainder of the men’s soccer season after reviewing their “scouting report” of the women’s soccer team.
Athletics Director Bob Scalise said the university’s Office of the General Counsel reviewed the behavior, where the team conducted a “scouting report” of freshman women soccer players back in 2012. In the report, the players allegedly rated all the women’s soccer players by looks and made lewd comments about them.
Scalise said the review concluded the practice was more widespread and has continued all the way up to the recent roster. Scalise said current students who were involved “were not immediately forthcoming about their involvement.”
Scalise said the team will forfeit the remainder of their games and will not participate in NCAA tournaments. The team was currently undefeated in their Ivy League division and ranked 18th nationally.
Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust released this statement:
“I was deeply distressed to learn that the appalling actions of the 2012 men’s soccer team were not isolated to one year or the actions of a few individuals, but appear to have been more wide-spread across the team and have continued beyond 2012, including in the current season.
Given this information, I fully support the clear and unequivocal decision made by the Director of Athletics today to cancel the remainder of the team’s season, including post-season play. I also agree with the Director’s desire to engage the team in a systematic program of training and to use this experience to reinforce core institutional values across the entire Department of Athletics.
The decision to cancel a season is serious and consequential, and reflects Harvard’s view that both the team’s behavior and the failure to be forthcoming when initially questioned are completely unacceptable, have no place at Harvard, and run counter to the mutual respect that is a core value of our community.”
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