Black Duke Volleyball Player Taunted With Racial Slurs During Game Against BYU

Source: KOLOstock / Getty

A rowdy crowd goer threatened and hurled racial slurs at a Black Duke volleyball player during the team’s tense game against Brigham Young University (BYU) on August 26. Now, people are demanding for BYU officials to take accountability.

The player, Rachel Richardson, was called the n-word “every time she served” the ball during the match, her godmother Lesa Pamplin revealed on Twitter. Richardson, who is the only Black player on the team, was also threatened by the disgruntled fan. “She was threatened by a white male that told her to watch her back going to the team bus. A police officer had to be put by their bench,” Pamplin added of the upsetting incident.

My Goddaughter is the only black starter for Dukes volleyball team. While playing yesterday, she was called a nigger every time she served. She was threatened by a white male that told her to watch her back going to the team bus. A police officer had to be put by their bench. pic.twitter.com/rmGpXTYfua

— Lesa Pamplin for County Criminal Court #5 (@LesaPamplin) August 27, 2022

The unidentified fan reportedly sat in the BYU section during the entire game taunting Richardson and was never asked to leave. Multiple reports state that he was not a student of the school.

BYU issues apology

After Richardson’s story took the internet by firestorm, BYU issued a statement apologizing for the disruptive attendee’s behavior.

“We will not tolerate behavior of this kind. Specifically, the use of a racial slur at any of our athletic events is absolutely unacceptable and BYU Athletics holds a zero-tolerance approach to this behavior,” the statement read. “We wholeheartedly apologize to Duke University and especially its student-athlete competing last night for what they experienced. We want BYU athletic events to provide a safe environment for all, and there is no place for behaviors like this in our venues.” The fan was subsequently banned from attending future games.

Official statement from BYU Athletics. pic.twitter.com/5bIwXNwr7J

— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) August 27, 2022

Some say an apology isn’t enough

In a follow-up tweet, Pamplin said that the university’s apology wasn’t enough. She lit into school officials for their failure to stop the racist agitator.

“Not one freaking adult did anything to protect her,” she wrote, before telling her followers that Richardson would be sharing her story “soon.”

Not one freaking adult did anything to protect her. I’m looking at you @BYU. You allowed this racist behavior to continue without intervening. Apologizing to her parents after the fact is not enough. She will soon be sharing her story.

— Lesa Pamplin for County Criminal Court #5 (@LesaPamplin) August 27, 2022

Online a ton of social media users also slammed BYU for their weak apology. One user named @VABVOX questioned why BYU team officials did not intervene when the “threatening behavior” occurred.

“What is your policy going forward and what punishments will accrue?” she asked.

.@BYU What actions are you taking to remedy this racist incident and its harm? Where were your coaches, referees, chaperones and team leaders to intervene and bench those engaging in this threatening behavior? What is your policy going forward and what punishments will accrue? https://t.co/AeluqvhGjj

— Victoria Brownworth #LesbianDanceTheorist (@VABVOX) August 27, 2022

USA Today journalist Mike Freeman lit into both BYU and Duke for their failure to protect Richardson.

What is certain about this horrible story about Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson is everyone failed. Duke did. BYU did. All the coaches. The ADs. All of them.
Only Richardson showed strength and courage and she shouldn’t have had to.

— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) August 27, 2022

While a third user slammed white crowd goers who “stood around” and “did nothing” to stop the fan’s inappropriate behavior.

White people who stood around, cheered and did nothing are just as guilty as the pissant racist who kept yelling at a young woman to demean and rattle her. To say nothing of the white supremacist bastard that told her to watch her back. Damn I get so sick and tired of this..@BYU

— ProfB (@AntheaButler) August 27, 2022

A BYU fan was permitted to stay for an entire game after yelling racial slurs loud enough for a player to hear and a police officer to be placed on their bench for safety.

This, simply, is not good enough. https://t.co/K7q79bvgi3

— Jordan Crammer (@JordanCrammer) August 27, 2022

BYU broadcasts all their games on BYU TV with multiple angles of the crowd! Should be no issue finding out who did this if they really want to. pic.twitter.com/QB59SXElhX

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) August 27, 2022

Duke was scheduled to play against Rider on Saturday but the event was moved from BYU’s Smith Fieldhouse to a different venue in Provo, Utah, out of safety concerns, ESPN reported.