Discrimination has no place at Rice – period

Discrimination has no place at Rice – period
…………………………………………………………………

The appearance
Monday, Oct. 28, of an online version of an article for
The Chronicle of Higher Education brought immediate reaction
from Rice President Malcolm Gillis.

The story, scheduled
for the Nov. 1 issue of the publication, dealt with hostility
toward gay athletes in university sports programs. In it,
writer Jennifer Jacobson reported on an interview with Rice
football coach Ken Hatfield (below).

Gillis became
aware of the story at 11:45 a.m. Monday, just prior to a
scheduled lunch with a donor. He reached Coach Hatfield
at 2:30 p.m., and engaged him on the issue and Rice policies
and practice. At 4:09 p.m. letters to the editor from both
the president and Hatfield (see Page 2) were e-mailed to
the Chronicle. Later the same day, both e-mails and the
original story were sent to faculty and student leaders,
as well as to the Rice Thresher.

The section of
the Chronicle of Higher Education story concerning Coach
Hatfield is as follows. Hatfield said the final sentence
of the section does not accurately represent his words.

Among the members
of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which has a large
following, is Rice University’s football coach, Ken
Hatfield, who says homosexuality clearly conflicts with
his religious beliefs. “I believe in the Bible,”
he declares.

He has been a
member of the fellowship since 1965. Its “sexual purity”
policy states: “God desires His children to lead pure
lives of holiness. The Bible is clear in teaching of sexual
sin, including sex outside of marriage and homosexual acts.
Neither heterosexual acts outside of marriage nor any homosexual
act constitute an alternative lifestyle acceptable to God.”

A collegiate
coach for 36 years, Mr. Hatfield has never had a player
come out to him.
If a player did go public about being homosexual, the coach
would be concerned both about the effect on the team and
about what the parents of other athletes would think, he
says. He would ask the player, “What happened? What
changed since we recruited you? When did this come about?”

After all, people
make a choice about homosexuality, Mr. Hatfield says, just
as they make choices about drinking, about going to church.
“I’ve never seen any scientific study say there’s
a homosexual gene.”

He says that
while he would not necessarily kick a player off the team
for being gay, he probably would think hard about it.

— “The
Loneliest Athletes,” The Chronicle of Higher Education,
Nov.1, 2002

President
Gillis’s letter to The Chronicle of Higher Education:

To the Editor:
The views attributed to football coach Ken Hatfield in an
article in your Nov. 1 issue (“The Loneliest Athletes”)
represent neither Rice University policy nor practice.

Our university
is committed to carrying out to the fullest its policy of
nondiscrimination: “Rice University does not discriminate
against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age,
disability or veteran status in its admissions, its educational
programs or employment of faculty or staff.”

As I have told
Coach Hatfield in unequivocal terms, he is entitled to practice
his personally held religious views in his private life,
but as Rice University football coach he must wholeheartedly
execute university policy. He has agreed to do so.

No student at
Rice will be denied equal participation on a team based
on sexual orientation, period.

Malcolm Gillis
President, Rice University

Hatfield’s
letter:

To the Editor:
In a story in your Nov. 1 issue (“The Loneliest Athletes”),
I was reported to have made remarks contrary to Rice policy
about how I might deal with an athlete on my team identifying
himself as homosexual.

As I told the
Chronicle reporter, in my role as football coach, a position
of authority assigned by my university, I am aware that
I must thoroughly carry out university policy, including
its prohibition on discrimination based on sexual orientation.
While I have personal views on the subject, I have assured
the president that I can and will follow the university’s
nondiscrimination policy sincerely and completely.

I apologize to
the university and the entire community for any distress
this story caused them.

Ken Hatfield
Head Football Coach, Rice University