'F*** the Mormons!' Utah governor calls Oregon students' chant during BYU football game 'religious bigotry'; left-wing Oregon governor says 'we must do better'



Utah Gov. Spencer Cox blasted an "f*** the Mormons!" chant from University of Oregon students caught on video during a home football game Saturday against Brigham Young University in Eugene, Oregon.

"Religious bigotry alive and celebrated in Oregon," Cox, a Republican, wrote on a Twitter post that included video of the chant. Content warning: Profanity:

\u201cReligious bigotry alive and celebrated in Oregon.\u201d
— Spencer Cox (@Spencer Cox) 1663464796

BYU is private university in Utah sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are commonly known as Mormons, CBS News noted in its report on the incident.

One apology, one 'we must do better' declaration

The University of Oregon apologized for the incident Sunday.

"The University of Oregon sincerely apologizes for an offensive and disgraceful chant coming from the student section during yesterday’s game against Brigham Young University," the school said on a Twitter post. "These types of actions go against everything the university stands for, and it goes against the spirit of competition. We can and will do better as a campus community that has no place for hate, bias or bigotry."

Oregon's far-left Gov. Kate Brown posted a retweet of the school's apology and added a "we must do better" declaration: "In Oregon, we strive to be a welcoming, inclusive state to all, regardless of race, religion, gender, or background. Our state and nation have an ugly history of discrimination and bigotry. The chant at yesterday's Oregon-BYU game was unacceptable. We must do better."

Oregon beat BYU 41-20, CBS News noted.

Debunked Duke volleyball racism claim, anyone?

It's more than reasonable — unless you're avoiding the subject — to view the anti-LDS chant during the BYU football game in concert with a Duke volleyball player's now-debunked racism accusation against BYU last month.

BYU officials banned a fan accused of yelling racial slurs at Rachel Richardson, a Duke volleyball player, during an Aug. 26 match. Richardson's godmother claimed on social media that Richardson was called the N-word "every time she served" and was "threatened by a white male that told her to watch her back going to the team bus." Richardson made the same allegations.

It ignited a media firestorm, with talking heads from coast to coast characterizing the accusations as factual before actual facts came in. Here's one example, with CNN's Brianna Keilar telling Richardson's father she's "sorry for what your daughter had to endure" and him admitting he didn't attend the game at BYU:

Father of Duke volleyball player discusses racist comments directed at his daughter youtu.be

CNN was singing a different tune after BYU announced Sept. 9 that after an extensive investigation, it found no evidence to corroborate accusations than a fan racially harassed a Duke University volleyball player — and the school reversed the ban on the fan:

\u201cBYU reverses ban on fan after finding no evidence of slur against a Duke volleyball player. @JohnAvlon has today\u2019s Upon Further Review:\u201d
— New Day (@New Day) 1662988491

It's also reasonable to wonder if the racism accusation against BYU — despite it being disproven — played any part in the Oregon students chanting "f*** the Mormons" at Saturday's football game.

Here's the perspective of one Twitter user who apparently only heard about accusations against BYU and missed the debunking part: "Was this a reaction to the person that yelled racial slurs at the ladies of color who were in a volleyball match against BYU? Did @SpencerJCox ever condemn the person and this ugly episode at the mormon-owned BYU?"

And another one: "I'm old enough to remember BYU fans at a volleyball match yelling bigoted racial chants at a Black volleyball player. Bigotry alive and celebrated by BYU fans. Don't act like you are better."

But one Twitter user noticed the correlation: "This is a direct result of the hate commentary leveled against BYU following the Duke 'thing.; All commentators that condemned BYU, invoking the religion, are responsible and must face consequences. They are guilty of fanning and inciting violence."

White privilege banner directed at Catholic HS before football game infuriates parents: 'It's not right'



Cheerleaders from a North Carolina high school held up a red banner before a football game Friday directed at their opponents — a Catholic high school — which read, "Sniff, sniff. You smell that? $Privilege$."

The word "privilege" was spelled out with white letters — and parents and other backers of Charlotte Catholic High School were furious and hurt over the banner, which the visiting Butler players ran through.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

What are the details?

The station said Melissa Swanson and her son — who is a fourth-grader and biracial — attended Charlotte Catholic's home football game against Butler High School. And she offered WBTV-TV her interpretation of the banner, which the Butler players ran through: "Here we are at a rich, white high school, and they're all lucky. We have it hard. They don't."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Swanson continued to the station: "And that's not the case — by no means. I am a single mom, and I raise my son on my own, and we pay for that school and work hard to be there."

She also told WBTV that she had to explain the banner to her son when he asked, "Mom, don't they see that we have other black boys on our team?"

Image source: YouTube screenshot

"I just said it's unfortunate that these things have to be discussed every day," Swanson added to the station. "And it's not right, and that's why I am so proud to have him at St. Gabriel and in the Catholic School system because we teach kindness."

She also emphasized to WBTV that among the most "disturbing" aspects of the incident "was it was children. Whether they are high school, elementary school, or middle school — they're children. The administration, the coaches, the athletic director — they had to know it."

How did Butler High's district respond?

Charlotte Mecklenburg School District sent the following statement to WBTV, the station said:

CMS is aware of an insensitive banner displayed by the Butler HS cheerleading squad prior to the school's football game versus Charlotte Catholic last Friday. Squad members and adults responsible for oversight will face consequences as a result of that banner display. School and district officials will offer no specific information about this disciplinary matter. Principal Golden and Learning Community Superintendent Tangela Williams have spoken with leaders from Charlotte Catholic to offer verbal apologies. Butler High School cheerleaders have sent an apology letter to counterparts at Charlotte Catholic. Soon there will be a meeting between the schools' cheerleading squads to facilitate goodwill and understanding.

Kurt Telford, principal of Charlotte Catholic, issued a forgiving statement, WBTV said:

We appreciate the outreach we've received from the Butler High School community and are confident our good relationship with them will continue. We understand how emotions surrounding sports events can sometimes result in actions that do not represent an organization's values. It is our hope that everyone will learn from such moments because at the end of the day we are all one community.

But one Butler parent backs banner creators

Alford Terry, a parent of a Butler student, told WSOC-TV he stands by the students who created the sign: "It's reality. I mean you can get upset as a parent, but kids, they have a mind of their own and they see things as what they are. We have to listen to what they have to say."

CMS offers apology to Charlotte Catholic High School for insensitive sign at football gameyoutu.be