WASHINGTON, D.C. — In Washington, Howard University club tennis players said Wednesday that Maryland’s response still falls short after a tournament packet included a graphic that placed a Ku Klux Klan-style hood over the state flag.
Club president Toni Rachal and vice president Kennedi Paschal told teammates at practice that Howard athletes spotted the image first in materials sent to nearly a dozen college clubs before last weekend’s event, which was meant to open Howard’s season.
Maryland indefinitely suspended its entire club tennis team, forfeited its matches, and opened inquiries through campus police, student conduct, and civil rights offices. University president Darryll J. Pines called the material deeply harmful and apologized in a campus note.
Howard players are asking for a formal public apology aimed at their club, clarity on who created the Google document, and donation of tournament proceeds to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. They also want sensitivity training for Maryland players and advisers.
The tournament continued without Maryland. Howard advanced to the semifinals. Rachal said the image did not feel like an accident in today’s climate, and Paschal said the discovery left players feeling singled out.
Maryland police said Wednesday they were not releasing further details while the campus reviews continue.
