Merrimack removes lacrosse player for racist remark

Merrimack College announced the removal of one of its men’s lacrosse players after he made a racist remark toward an indigenous player from the University of Albany during a game last Sunday.

The college issued a statement earlier this week, saying it “condemns any actions that oppose the mission and value of the college and its athletic program and has no tolerance for the behavior displayed Sunday afternoon.”

A recent story from USA Lacrosse detailed the situation and response from both teams and the America East Conference. Below is an excerpt from the USA Lacrosse story.

The Eagle-Tribune originally reported that the player—who was unnamed—was kicked off the team.

The incident garnered attention after the Haudenosaunee Nationals shared a statement about the incident on X.

Albany issued its own statement to Times-Union reporter Mark Singelais, applauding the Great Danes player for reporting the incident immediately and Merrimack for handling it “with the seriousness it deserves.”

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“We reject all forms of bias,” the university said. “Our standards for athletic competition are no different, and the bar is even higher in games like lacrosse that have such deep cultural significance to our Indigenous students, teammates, and colleagues.”