Columbia University shuts down wrestling program amid texting scandal
It's the second Ivy League program this month to stop competition
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1 min read
The Columbia University wrestling team won't be competing in the near future because of reported lewd text messages sent by several team members.
The team will not be allowed to compete until a recently launched investigation has concluded, CBS News reports.
"The Department of Athletics has decided that Columbia wrestlers will not compete until we have a full understanding of the facts on which to base the official response to this disturbing matter," Columbia said in a statement.
The alleged group chat, published on an independent student-run blog, reportedly included lewd, homophobic and racially insensitive language. The school described the messages as "appalling, at odds with the core values of the university."
According to the Columbia Spectator, the incident has spurred protests on campus demanding the wrestlers involved be removed from the team and their names be made public. The protesters also have demanded that the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity, comprised mostly of athletes, lose its house and issue a statement about the incident.
A Columbia spokeswoman said that the team could return to competition in a couple of days or this weekend, depending on findings of the investigation.
This is the second Ivy League team this month to be involved in a scandal. Less than two weeks ago, Harvard canceled the season of the men's soccer team after a review found that members of the team continually (dating back to at least 2012) produced sexually explicit documents rating women, which they called a "scouting report."
