The University of Wisconsin and the University of Iowa are speaking out after a spectator yelled racist comments at a Badger wrestler during a weekend meet at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
UW Athletic Director Chris McIntosh addressed the comments directed at UW wrestler Austin Gomez and his family in a statement released on Twitter.
“On or off campus, home or away, UW athletics strives to create an atmosphere where our student-athletes feel welcome and can thrive,” McIntosh said. “This behavior has no place in the Big Ten and college athletics as a whole. It is totally unacceptable.”
Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling also condemned the behavior, saying in a Twitter statement individuals who violate the fan behavior policy may be banned from attending future Hawkeye events.
The incident did not surprise Gomez, according to statement he released on Twitter. Gomez had experienced a similar incident when wrestling for Iowa State, according to the tweet.
What upset Gomez the most were the comments directed at his family.
“Someone had made a comment about my father and my family and that does not fly with me,” Gomez’s statement read. “My mother and my 16 year old sister were sitting right behind the Wisconsin bench. They explained to me that they were getting cussed at the whole time as well … my mother and sister should not have had to put up with that kind of behavior.”
I don’t owe this to anyone but I wanted to make a statement about what happened this past weekend at CHA. I appreciate all the support from everyone.
The Wisconsin faculty and I have been contacted and have a phone call set up for tomorrow with personnel from Iowa.
GO BADGERS pic.twitter.com/TwNeP0xPvh
— Austin Gomez (@agomez65mx) February 8, 2022
The incident occurred only weeks after a fan made anti-Asian gestures during a UW men’s basketball game against Northwestern. UW banned the spectator from attending future sporting events.
Incidences of racially insensitive comments during college athletics are not uncommon. During the College World Series last summer, fans directed racial slurs at the parents of Vanderbilt student-athletes, according to Sports Illustrated.
In the future, UW encourages anyone who witnesses or experiences an event of racial insensitivity to report it to the Dean of Student Affairs, according to a statement from Chancellor Blank and Athletic Director McIntosh.
“Hopefully there is action taken so other student-athletes and families don’t have to have the same experience in the future,” Gomez said in the statement.
