Howard University tennis team speaks out after UMD team sends racist image

Fox - 5 DC
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5 Video Views·Oct 15, 2026
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Racist images set down to students ahead of a college tennis tournament
at the Center of Two Investigations at the University of Maryland.
Tonight, we're hearing from players at other schools about
what they think of UMD's apology and accountability.
Fox 5's Homa Bash live near campus tonight with the latest. Homa?
Hey guys, we're right near Howard University's campus.
Now this was meant to be a weekend of friendly competition,
but of course it has exploded into so much more.
I want to show you that racist image
that we're talking about here that has so many people upset.
Howard University club players telling us it
is important to see exactly what we're talking about.
Take a look at this.
It features a Ku Klux Klan-style hood on top of the Maryland flag.
It was included in tournament material sent out
to college tennis clubs ahead of Saturday's event.
Well, today we caught up with Howard players at practice.
This was supposed to be their first tournament of the club season.
And of course, this incident casting a dark cloud for so many.
I don't think that it was an accident or it was a joke.
I think it was intentional,
but obviously I can't speak to what whoever put it out there,
what they were thinking when they did it.
I don't know.
I wouldn't wish this feeling on my worst enemies.
It makes you feel different.
It makes you feel just kind of ostracized a little bit.
The fact that it was spread to so many different colleges
and of course, Howard has to be the
one to say something.
The University of Maryland has since suspended its entire club
tennis team indefinitely and the team forfeited tournament matches.
The UMD club tennis student leaders also met with other
tournament team captains to take responsibility and apologize.
In a statement yesterday, UMD's president also apologized,
calling the image deeply harmful and offensive.
Both the university's police department
and Office of Student Conduct are investigating.
It will also be reviewed by the Office of Civil Rights.
But Howard players, the ones who noticed the imagery sent to nearly
a dozen teams in the first place, are asking for more accountability,
a public apology and a donation of tournament funds
to the African-American Museum of History and Culture.
I think that would be a great way to show some serious accountability
and a way to take next steps and not only understanding why
this is such a big deal, but how they can do better going forward
by continuing to contribute to the education about racism
and about African-American history for America as a whole.
And one thing that is still not clear tonight, who did this and why?
Was it one student on the team? Was it a group of them?
UMD police telling me that they're
not releasing any more information today on their investigation.
But we'll, of course, let you know if that changes.
Jim, Marina.
