Harvard University decided to suspend its men's soccer team from playing for the rest of the season on Thursday, November 3. After an investigation over a lascivious "scouting report" made by members of Harvard men's soccer team rating female athletes, the university opted to drop out for the remaining season.
The sexist "scouting report" was an online document created in 2012. However, an investigation by Harvard's general counsel revealed that the horrendous actions of the 2012 men's soccer team were not isolated and have continued to exist into the current season, according to New York Daily News.
“Harvard Athletics has zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” #Harvard Athletics Director Robert Scalise wrote. https://t.co/hMIWYX1bjF
— The Harvard Crimson (@thecrimson) November 3, 2016
The nine-page document surfaced last week and contains photos of six female soccer recruits. It was used by members of the men's soccer team to judge and rate the female athletes' attractiveness and included labels of possible sexual positions.
Athletic Director Robert Scalise addressed the student athletes via email on Wednesday that given with what they have learned, the department has decided to cancel the rest of the 2016 men's soccer season. According to Scalise, the men's soccer team will drop out from its remaining games and will refuse to participate in any chance of achieving an Ivy League championship or to play in the 2016 NCAA tournament.
The Athletic director added that the department will work hand in hand with Harvard University's office of sexual assault prevention and response to give more education and training sessions to all athletes particularly to the men's soccer team, shared by Boston Globe. They will work on teaching these students the gravity of such actions and the general standard of behaviors and respect that they should have.
Harvard University president Drew Faust shared in a statement that she was "deeply distressed" to learn the results of the investigation and that she applauds Scalise's decision. She shared that such behaviors have no place in the university and the decision to cancel a season reflects the seriousness of their stand against it.
