Blackface Gets MA College Soccer Team Pulled From Game

NORTON, MA – The Wheaton College women's soccer team will not be allowed to participate in a tournament game this weekend after one if its players wore apparent blackface to a Halloween party in a residence hall, school administrators said Thursday, calling the costume "offensive and racist." A photo of the woman dressed as actor Terry Crews from the movie "White Chicks" drew the ire of some students as she had worn makeup in an attempt to make her skin appear darker, according to The Sun Chronicle.

Members of Wheaton's Black Student Association told The Sun Chronicle they were "stunned, afraid and, quite frankly, hurt" by the costume, and more than 50 students gathered on campus Wednesday to urge administrators to take action.

The woman did not play in an Oct. 31 soccer game while administrators investigated claims that she had worn blackface to the Friday night function, the Sun Chronicle reported. On Thursday, Wheaton College President Dennis Hanno announced that the entire women's soccer team had been pulled from its NEWMAC tournament game against MIT this Saturday as a result of the incident.

"The team recognizes this is the right decision and accepts the outcome," Hanno wrote in a letter to the Wheaton community. "This action is separate from, and will not replace, the student conduct hearing process involving specific individuals now underway. Rather, it is intended to signal a clear message that offensive and racist behavior will not be tolerated at Wheaton."

Hanno said he was "dismayed" that others participated in the event and attempted to "cover it up." A screenshot of text messages sent to The Sun Chronicle showed the woman and another team member asked the team to take down pictures of the costume from social media, "just in case any friends on snapchat gets offended cause that's the last thing I would want to do," the woman wrote.

"If people say anything (she) is tan and it was really bronzer people are just overreacting," another wrote, according to the Sun Chronicle.

Hanno said a task force at Wheaton College formed to implement a diversity and inclusion plan will hold a series of meetings in the coming weeks for student comment. He added that he hoped the community would see the task force as a step in the right direction.

"This is a difficult moment for the college and our community and I am convinced that we can use this incident as a rallying point to build a better, more welcoming and inclusive place for all students, faculty and staff," Hanno wrote. "I hope you will join me in this important work."

Wheaton's withdrawal from the Saturday game means the Lyons' 2017 season is over.

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