The University of Alabama’s athletic department and gymnastics program, including head coach Dana Duckworth, assistant coach Bill Lorenz, and several team members must be held accountable for numerous racist incidents that occurred during the 2019 season. Tia Kiaku was a gymnast at the University of Alabama during the 2019 season, her only one with the program. Kiaku was removed from the roster during the 2020 season, and has since stated that she decided to leave the team because of the numerous racist comments made by both coaches and teammates, as well as the lack of consequences faced by the individuals responsible.

Kiaku shared the specifics of her experiences publicly in an Instagram post. She shared that Alabama assistant coach Bill Lorenz said to a group of Black gymnasts who were training together, “What is this, the back of the bus?” This comment, which he maintained was a mere "joke," refers to the Jim Crow laws that once relegated Black transit riders to the rear of the bus. In response to this incident, Kiaku filed a Title IX complaint. Upon investigating the incident, officials in the athletic department echoed that it was a “joke” and dismissed the matter with no consequences for Lorenz. Kiaku also shared that several of her white teammates used racial slurs, and once again received no consequences for doing so. (Link to IG post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8tPGiBWjD/?igshid=ith9zz1j7dnt ).

Kiaku further spoke out about her experiences at the University of Alabama as part of an article published by AI.com, this time with regard to head coach Dana Duckworth. She shared that Duckworth once said of former Alabama gymnast Aja Sims, who is Black, “She’s not really Black. She wasn’t raised Black.” Duckworth has yet to be penalized for this comment. (Link to article: https://www.al.com/alabama/2020/06/former-alabama-gymnast-says-assistant-coach-made-racist-comment.html ).
Kiaku also shared an exchange in which one of her Black teammates (redacted) said, "I'm tired of literally feeling like the back of the bus ya feel me" (Link to the text: https://twitter.com/tia_kiaku33/status/1268003670274252803 ).

These are our demands for the University of Alabama, their athletic department, and their gymnastics program:

• We demand that Lorenz and Duckworth be held accountable for their actions and face explicit consequences for their conduct. We also demand that the University be transparent and specific as to the actions they take to discipline Lorenz and Duckworth.
• We demand that the Title IX investigation filed by Kiaku be reopened: racist "jokes" should not be normalized and should be treated as seriously as any other derogatory racist comment.
• We demand a public apology from Duckworth and Lorenz addressed to Kiaku. The statements recently released by Duckworth and the UA gymnastics program make no mention of the incidents nor do they apologize for them.
• We demand transparency from the university for their protocols for dealing with racism: Racist incidents and the way they are managed should be documented and accessible to the public.
• We demand a space of inclusion for all Black student athletes: After seeking justice for the racist comments made by Lorenz, Kiaku was made to feel like she was no longer welcomed on the team, which eventually lead to her departure from the program.
• We demand yearly, mandatory, and documented training (for staff and student athletes) about racism in sports as well as racial bias and discrimination.

Given UA's stated commitment to respect across difference and equal opportunity (https://www.ua.edu/about/policies/files/UA%20Code%20of%20Ethical%20Conduct%20Final.pdf we believe the university needs to take swift and further action in Tia Kiaku's case.As long as universities sweep instances of racist abuse under the rug and refuse to hold racist staff and student athletes accountable, there can be no true safety for Black student athletes.