SPOKANE, Wash. — Following the announcement of an investigation regarding the University of Idaho volleyball department, players on the team have been granted the right to opt out of practice while the investigation continues.
This comes after over a dozen U of I players encouraged the school to take action against the head coach, Chris Gonzalez. Thursday, the U of I Communications Director Jodi Walker told KREM 2 the following:
"Student-athletes can opt out of practices for the duration of the investigation. Their scholarships will not be impacted. We want each student-athlete to feel empowered to make the choices that are best for them. We understand this is a difficult time and we strive to support each student-athlete to navigate in a way that works best for them."
University of Idaho volleyball players previously told KREM 2 that Gonzalez physically pushed a girl to the ground during practice when he jumped into the drill. Players also said Gonzalez called the girls "linebackers," implying that they need to lose weight.
"Last year, there was an African American girl on the team, and he made kind of racial comments about that," volleyball player Emma Watson said.
For more details on the investigation, click here.
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