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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

What Happened?

A story appeared yesterday in the Sports section of the LA Times concerning a disputed incident said to be adversely affecting UCLA gymnastics. A now-former member of the team was said to have used some form of the N-word according to online rumors.* It isn't clear what the context of the incident was, but one version was that she sang along with a recording which presumably contained the word. 

Exactly where this event occurred or why there was a recording playing - if that is what happened - is unclear. However, the individual in question - who is not identified in the LA Times' story but can be found online and in the Bruin version of the story - didn't apologize when asked, denied doing anything wrong - and subsequently left UCLA and the team and went to Louisiana State University (LSU) and its team. LSU says it investigated what happened at UCLA and found no problems that would bar the transfer.

However, teammates at UCLA are reported to be unhappy with the response of the athletics department and apparently wanted some penalty imposed on the accused individual. That part, too, is unclear, since it is not obvious what penalty could be imposed by UCLA on someone who has departed to another university. The exact timing of the incident vs. the departure is another unclear element.

The LA Times' story is at:

https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2022-01-25/ucla-bruins-gymnastics-racism-bullying-lsu-transfer.

The Bruin version of the story identifies that gymnast at the center of this controversy as do various online sources but other wise leaves the details of what happened uncertain:

https://dailybruin.com/2022/01/20/ucla-gymnasts-express-displeasure-on-twitter-call-for-attention-of-ucla-athletics.

LSU says that on the one hand, the stories circulating on the web about what happened at UCLA are untrue but also that it is creating "opportunities for someone who may have made a mistake." See:

https://www.brproud.com/sports/geaux-nation/alexis-jeffrey-joins-lsu-gymnastics-team-amid-racial-slur-allegations/.

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*https://gymnaverse.com/t/ucla-alexis-jeffery-gymnasts-calling-out-athletic-director/1608.

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