During a recent lacrosse tournament, several inappropriate comments were directed towards a player on one of the competing teams related to their gender. Clearly, there is no place for this type of disturbing behavior in our sport. We are working together with Corrigan Sports Enterprise, one of our event sanctioning operators, to connect with all parties involved to address this specific issue.
USA Lacrosse has a number of resources available to help address and eliminate incidents such as this. Last year, USA Lacrosse adopted a new Anti-Harassment and Discrimination policy to be utilized by leagues, programs and events. The corrective action plan associated with the policy is designed to forgive a mistake, but also protect student-athletes, provide education and firmly address chronic misbehavior.
USA Lacrosse also offers a free online cultural competency course. This educational tool is designed to assist all members of the lacrosse community in having a better understanding about the impact of diversity and inclusion. Some of the topics discussed include: Bias, Microaggressions, Social Class, and Inclusive Leadership.
These resources are part of the larger We Stand initiative, an effort aimed at promoting anti-harassment and anti-racism in sports. USA Lacrosse is working with Nation United Foundation (NUF), Black Lacrosse Alliance and other stakeholders in the lacrosse community to support the effort.
