University of Maryland tennis club on suspension after members put KKK symbols in programs

The University of Maryland has indefinitely suspended its club tennis team after members allegedly distributed tournament materials featuring racist imagery of Ku Klux Klan hoods.

Staff with the university’s Recreation and Wellness department discovered Saturday that members of the Maryland Club Tennis student organization emailed the material to other university tennis clubs ahead of a weekend fall tournament at the College Park campus, the university told The Independent Tuesday.

Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., was among the recipients. The University of Maryland Police Department and the university’s Office of Student Conduct are investigating the incident.

“The University of Maryland is horrified and expresses its regret and sincere apology for the harm that this has caused,” officials told The Independent.

“In addition to UMD club tennis apologizing and forfeiting its matches, UMD’s director of Recreation and Wellness issued an apology to the club presidents of all the participating teams.”

Toni Rachal, president of Howard University’s club tennis team, spotted the graphic in a shared Google document emailed to participating teams, according to a statement posted on Howard’s team Instagram account.

The graphic allegedly appeared on the document’s first page beneath the Maryland club tennis logo. It showed KKK hoods with eye holes in the top-right and bottom-left corners, replacing elements of the Crossland coat of arms featured on Maryland’s official state flag.

“The imagery is a recognizable symbol of white supremacy, organized hate, and violence,” the Howard University team said in a statement.

Although the incident may have directly involved only a few team members, the university suspended the entire club tennis team pending the outcome of the investigation. The team forfeited its matches, while the tournament continued for other participants.

Student leaders from Maryland’s club tennis team met with visiting team captains to take responsibility, apologize and acknowledge the harm caused. They also emailed apologies to each participating club program. University staff provided on-site support to visiting players and contacted recreation directors at affected schools.

Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick released a statement Monday, stating the university supported the student who participated in the tournament.

“Let me be unequivocal: There is no place for racism, intimidation, or imagery rooted in hatred and racial violence in collegiate athletics, on our campuses, or anywhere in our society. The imagery displayed evoked a painful history of racial terror and exclusion that has no place in an environment dedicated to learning, personal development, and mutual respect,” Frederick said.