Posted on 05/07/2012 10:21:31 AM PDT by billorites
The president of Tufts University Thursday lifted a suspension from competition levied against the men's rowing team that was handed out after members printed sexually suggestive T-shirts the rowers wore to an annual campus event.
The reinstatement, requested by university President Anthony Monaco, comes in time for this weekend's New England Rowing Championships in which the team's 31 rowers may now compete, the university said.
"Most decisions regarding our athletic teams are appropriately made at the programmatic level, and that was originally the case in this instance," Tufts spokeswoman Kimberly Thurler said in a statement. "However, given the larger issues involved, including issues of freedom of expression, President Monaco felt it was appropriate to review the entire matter with the coaches and our athletics director."
The fluorescent yellow tank-tops were printed for the annual schoolwide celebration called Spring Fling held last Friday on the president's lawn, and were emblazoned with a profile of a boat full of cartoon rowers complete with a coxswain, who sits at the head of the boat to direct the rowers during competition.
The caption drew the ire of at least one Tufts community member, who complained in writing that a sexually suggestive slogan that played off a common abbreviation of the coxswain's title was offensive toward women, and promoted a culture of rape and sexually aggressive behavior, according to the campus newspaper that first reported the suspensions, citing several people who read or have direct knowledge of the complaint.
The apparel violated team policy against "producing, purchasing, and wearing as a group unauthorized tee-shirts," Thurler said. The infraction was the "fundamental issue, not the one complaint that was received."
"In this case ... we must balance the internal question of team discipline with the university's commitment to an environment that supports free expression," Thurler said.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Or, perhaps, “Check out our chicks!” :))
Agreed.
This is about as offensive as “Save the Tatas”
...which I actually find annoying.
The University of Virginia LAX team sold bumper stickers back then that said “Chicks like our sticks.”
“I can't believe I ate the whole thing!”
Later modified to read “ can't believe I ate the ‘hole’ thing!”
Lots of them were sold by various gift shops throughout the US.
Or the razor advertisements on TV at the same time? He really got “stroked” this morning!
Sexual innuendos have been around for a long time.
< /nutshell >
Reminds me of Tata Motors in India!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.