Morehouse College president F. DuBois Bowman has issued a letter, originally sent to the campus community, weighing in on the handcuffing of Tuskegee University basketball coach Benjy Taylor and the subsequent punishment by the SIAC. In the letter, Bowman says that Morehouse apologized to Taylor for the incident but questioned the penalty by the conference.
The full letter is below.
“I am writing to address the unfortunate incident that occurred during the basketball game against Tuskegee on Saturday. There was an escalated incident that resulted in Tuskegee's head coach Benjy Taylor's brief detainment and escort off the court by a safety officer, after asserting there was a breach in game management and safety protocols.
The College issued an apology directly to Coach Taylor on the night of the game, as the detainment did not reflect the desires that we have for Morehouse. Morehouse staff quickly connected with Tuskegee and the SIAC leadership to collaborate on a path forward in goodwill. Since then, the incident involving the officer and Coach Taylor has become an active legal matter, limiting further comments.
To fully understand what took place, Morehouse did not rush to issue public commentary but rather collected information for broader context, including video footage and interviews with witnesses. Many public accounts have not fully and accurately captured the context of what occurred and, in some cases, have mischaracterized our students and the institution.
As an attendee at the game, I did not observe conduct that was clearly outside of what is commonly seen at competitive collegiate athletic events, specifically at the conclusion of a winning home game, when fellow Morehouse students were congratulating the Morehouse basketball players.
The SIAC published a statement on Monday announcing the conclusion of an investigation and issuing sanctions against Morehouse related to crowd control and safe entry and exit at the game. While Morehouse leadership and I take the SIAC's findings seriously, we have questions about an investigation that did not include a request for the College's input but ultimately determined responsibility and a fine.
This falls short of the due diligence expected of a fair and comprehensive process, and we are engaging directly with the SIAC to reconsider, given the precedent such decisions set for all SIAC institutions.
As we move forward, Morehouse will continue
to stand for integrity, accountability, and responsible leadership. We will engage constructively while advocating for fair treatment and accurate representation, consistent with our legacy of upholding standards that have defined Morehouse College for more than a century.
Sincerely,
F. DuBois Bowman, Ph.D. '92
13h President
Morehouse College”
Tuskegee University head coach Benjy Taylor was handcuffed by police. The incident, per reporting by HBCU Gameday and captured on video, shows Taylor attempting to ensure security protocol was being properly enforced.
Per HBCU Gameday’s reporting, Morehouse College football players entered the handshake line between Tuskegee and Morehouse basketball players, which is prohibited. Taylor attempted to intervene, asking security to enforce security protocols and remove the football players from the handshake line.
The officer then deemed that Taylor was being aggressive and handcuffed him. He was subsequently released and left Atlanta with the team. The video of the incident secured by HBCU Gameday showcases a snippet of the conversation as well as Taylor being handcuffed by the officer.
Following being released by police, Taylor commented on the incident to college basketball-based media outlet Field of 68 and said, “I am at a loss for words, and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”
On Monday, the SIAC, the Division II collegiate conference that both Morehouse and Tuskegee compete in, announced that Morehouse had been fined an undisclosed amount for the incident.
On Sunday, ClutchPoints was informed that Taylor was securing the services of a civil rights attorney. Per the statement issued by Wukela Communications on the behalf of Harry M. Daniels LLC and attorneys Gregory Reynald Williams and Gerald Griggs, all legal avenues are being explored for a possible civil lawsuit.
