British Columbia basketball team to skip games over alleged mistreatment of trans player

NANAIMO, British Columbia – A group of college basketball players in Canada say they will not play a pair of games against another team in their division this weekend due to alleged verbal and physical abuse from a transgender teammate who they say has not been addressed.

All 13 players on the Vancouver Island University team signed a letter saying they do not feel safe playing at Columbia Bible College. “All of us should be free to be ourselves and play the sport we love in a safe and supportive environment, including queer and trans athletes,” the letter reads.

Mariners forward Harriette Mackenzie spoke to The Canadian Press in October about the verbal and physical abuse she said she experienced when her team hosted Columbia Bible College for a pair of games in Nanaimo.

Mackenzie, who is transgender, said visiting team coach Taylor Claggett went on a “rant” after losing on Oct. 25, yelling at a Mariners staff member that Mackenzie should not be allowed to play against women. .

The two teams played again on October 26, and Mackenzie said her opponents physically attacked her. She shared with CP a video of the game where, far from the ball, a Columbia player throws Mackenzie to the ground.

Columbia Bible College, an evangelical Mennonite college, later said in a statement that Claggett was “speaking up for the safety of his players as any good coach would.”

“We support Taylor Claggett and all of our coaches in expressing their legitimate concerns for the safety of our student-athletes,” the statement said.

Mackenzie filed a complaint with the Western Pacific Athletic Association, but the letter released by his team Tuesday said the governing body has not investigated or issued any punishment.

“By doing nothing, saying nothing, issuing no suspensions or sanctions, your message is clear: you believe what happened was right,” reads the letter addressed to VIU and PACWEST leaders.

“We need them to know that we do not agree with what happened. We don’t feel safe playing at CBC or with that team as long as Coach Claggest is still free to behave the way she did. Your inaction is not only disappointing. “It has made us and the game less safe.”

A PACWEST spokesperson declined to comment on the letter or the conference’s response, citing an ongoing investigation.

Vancouver Island University and Columbia Bible College did not immediately respond to CP’s requests for comment.

The team’s letter said players are being asked to play games in Abbotsford on Friday and Saturday despite their fears and amid questions about a safety plan.

“The damage caused to Harriette and our team was done on the field by this coach, a coach and a team whose behavior you apparently condone,” it said. “No unmarked buses, separate entrances or bans on protest signs will protect us from that.”

The letter also suggested that players be told that if they felt unsafe, they should stay back and not play in the games.

“You’re asking us to risk our safety or lose a game and lose our position,” he said. “You’re suggesting we split up and some of us go play while leaving behind those who feel more insecure. What kind of options are those? “You should be with us, defending fair and safe play.”

The team, ranked first in the conference and fifth in the country with an 11-1 record, said it will not play in CBC until PACWEST suspends Claggett, moves the provincial championship to a venue other than CBC and requires the school commits to a “Zero tolerance policy towards hate and discrimination.”

The letter argued that VIU should not be penalized with a loss if the team does not play this weekend’s games. If PACWEST does not commit to recording no wins or losses in games, the conference should postpone them, the letter said.

“We love this game and we love our team,” he said. “We’re counting on you to support us and do the right thing.”

Transgender rights became a major issue in the US presidential race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, who responded to the controversy surrounding a San Jose State University volleyball player by threatening to ban transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports. It’s unclear what exactly President-elect Trump will do when he takes office on January 20.