Oberlin College

[lax410]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

This.

Also this coach is at Oberlin. Did she really think it was a great idea to put her unnecessary, gratuitous opinion out there on this topic given where she works?

“Where she works”? She works at a liberal arts college. The supposed mission of a liberal arts education is to expose its students to various ideas and points of view, thereby teaching the students how to think critically. The fact that Oberlin, along with many others, long ago abandoned that mission is reason to emphasize the need to return to that mission, not to tar and feather someone who dares depart from the accepted orthodoxy.

She works at a very liberal school. If the ND coach spoke out in an unflattering way about the Catholic Church they’d have something to say about.

[harflax]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

Yes, there have been issues regarding a lacrosse player in Florida.

This is 100% accurate. It was/is not an "imaginary problem."

[Laxfan212]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

Yes, there have been issues regarding a lacrosse player in Florida.

This is 100% accurate. It was/is not an "imaginary problem."

But what’s the problem exactly? That there is a transgender girl playing lacrosse in Florida? What happened? I haven’t heard of this issue, just googled and didn’t find anything.

[JunkD]

In some ways this is a uniquely Oberlin fiasco. Two years ago, the coach apparently shared a post congratulating the runner up at the 2022 NCAA Swim Championships who had lost to a record-setting, transgender athlete from Penn. Mind you, if she was singularly focused on building a winning program at Oberlin one wonders why she decided to step into this minefield, knowing full well the progressive ethos at the college and the vehement reaction likely there. But I digress.

For reasons that remain obscure, one or more players evidently then shared the repost with the Athletic Director. As a result, Coach was called into meetings with the AD and others in the administration, which she recorded. At some point thereafter the AD then scheduled something akin to a “struggle session” with the team and others in the administration, which Coach also apparently recorded, at which she was allegedly confronted about her heretical views, pressured to apologize and recant. She refused. Fast forward a year, and this story comes out after the end of the 2023 season.

At this point, no doubt both sides are positioning themselves for the inevitable lawsuit(s) relating to wrongful termination or other possible causes of action. It is an untenable situation. However heartfelt her views, the Coach is now divided against elements of the team and certainly against the administration. Caught in the middle are the girls who simply wanted to play lacrosse and may now rightly wonder about the future of their program.

[harflax]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

Yes, there have been issues regarding a lacrosse player in Florida.

This is 100% accurate. It was/is not an "imaginary problem."

But what’s the problem exactly? That there is a transgender girl playing lacrosse in Florida? What happened? I haven’t heard of this issue, just googled and didn’t find anything.

Yes, I am not getting into the politics of whether you are in favor or against biological males participating in female sports but there were questions raised on how to handle the situation regarding a club team’s participant in the Tampa area.

[harflax]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

Yes, there have been issues regarding a lacrosse player in Florida.

This is 100% accurate. It was/is not an "imaginary problem."

But what’s the problem exactly? That there is a transgender girl playing lacrosse in Florida? What happened? I haven’t heard of this issue, just googled and didn’t find anything.

Yes, I am not getting into the politics of whether you are in favor or against biological males participating in female sports but there were questions raised on how to handle the situation regarding a club team’s participant in the Tampa area.

[tothedraw]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

This.

Also this coach is at Oberlin. Did she really think it was a great idea to put her unnecessary, gratuitous opinion out there on this topic given where she works?

“Where she works”? She works at a liberal arts college. The supposed mission of a liberal arts education is to expose its students to various ideas and points of view, thereby teaching the students how to think critically. The fact that Oberlin, along with many others, long ago abandoned that mission is reason to emphasize the need to return to that mission, not to tar and feather someone who dares depart from the accepted orthodoxy.

She works at a very liberal school. If the ND coach spoke out in an unflattering way about the Catholic Church they’d have something to say about.

I find it fascinating that you are conflating ideology with religion. At a place of learning that is faith based there is an expectation you hold those same faith beliefs. *Edit- calling out any Church for abuses is not what I'm referring to. The Catholic and Southern Baptist churches and schools associated have had to deal with some ugly truths in recent years* This thread may have a better home in Watercooler.

But, knowing who her employer was and how her opinion was most likely opposite of what the administration holds true. She was taking a risk of getting in to hot water. Which is her constitutional right, protection from backlash is not.

[lax410]

I’m not conflating religion and ideology. One can hold the same beliefs as the Catholic church and still speak up about how they’ve handled certain things. The sexual abuse crisis is a great example.

JunkD explained it well. This seems like an unforced error on the part of the coach. If you’re a coach at a school like Oberlin, you must know that advancing that opinion is not going to be popular. Sure you can still do it I suppose. But I’m not particularly sympathetic especially when, as here, it isn’t even relevant to what’s happening at this school.

[Laxfan212]

I’m not conflating religion and ideology. One can hold the same beliefs as the Catholic church and still speak up about how they’ve handled certain things. The sexual abuse crisis is a great example.

JunkD explained it well. This seems like an unforced error on the part of the coach. If you’re a coach at a school like Oberlin, you must know that advancing that opinion is not going to be popular. Sure you can still do it I suppose. But I’m not particularly sympathetic especially when, as here, it isn’t even relevant to what’s happening at this school.

Well said.

[livelovelax]

What is disturbing is that we have young people getting indoctrinated by liberals on campus, professors that are nothing more than political activists suggesting that it is ok to have biological men play female sports. This is insane on every level. To hear a couple of Coach Russell's players suggest that it is the coach that is evil for her to have her beliefs is beyond belief. Where are the feminists that support females and women's athletics? Why aren't we all standing up to this BS? Didn't we just celebrate 50 years of Title 9?

If you allow this crazy behavior, we will only get more of it. It is sickening that differing opinions are no longer acceptable…….all must conform to this woke lunacy or lose your job or be ostracized. Wake up folks. I stand with the coach and her beliefs.

[LaxThoughts]

What is disturbing is that we have young people getting indoctrinated by liberals on campus, professors that are nothing more than political activists suggesting that it is ok to have biological men play female sports. This is insane on every level. To hear a couple of Coach Russell's players suggest that it is the coach that is evil for her to have her beliefs is beyond belief. Where are the feminists that support females and women's athletics? Why aren't we all standing up to this BS? Didn't we just celebrate 50 years of Title 9?

If you allow this crazy behavior, we will only get more of it. It is sickening that differing opinions are no longer acceptable…….all must conform to this woke lunacy or lose your job or be ostracized. Wake up folks. I stand with the coach and her beliefs.

You are not wrong. But whether one agrees with you or not, the main point is that one can (and should) stand with the coach and her right to not be threatened with termination or derision for simply expressing a view (which, by the way, is widely held) even if one does not stand with her beliefs.

[Downhill Dodger]

I'll go one better--how about if folks don't post D3 news on D1 boards; regardless of how many people do or don't visit that neck of the woods as a qualifier.

After reading and watching, this is more than D3 news - this is women in sport news.

Is there a current issue in women’s lax with transgender women playing and/or causing some sort of problem? I don’t think so. At least for women’s lacrosse, this is an imaginary problem peiple like to get themselves worked up about, I presume for the purpose of announcing to the world their (irrelevant, hypothetical) viewpoint.

This.

Also this coach is at Oberlin. Did she really think it was a great idea to put her unnecessary, gratuitous opinion out there on this topic given where she works?

“Where she works”? She works at a liberal arts college. The supposed mission of a liberal arts education is to expose its students to various ideas and points of view, thereby teaching the students how to think critically. The fact that Oberlin, along with many others, long ago abandoned that mission is reason to emphasize the need to return to that mission, not to tar and feather someone who dares depart from the accepted orthodoxy.

It is Oberlin we are talking about here, the school is a bastion of toxic progressivism, the had to pay out 36 million to a local bakery because they tried to ruin the family's business because they didnt agree with their woke

https://apnews.com/article/business-edu ... 15bcef3a2d

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/us/o ... wsuit.html

[44WeWantMore]

And one day the ax just fell

[ProudPapa]

Oberlin has an issue with non-progressive viewpoints? No way! Say it isn’t so!

[LaxPundit07]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. An employee at a liberal progressive school spoke out against the woke issue de jour and was fired. Color me not shocked at all. And guess what; good for Oberlin. They are a private school and can impose whatever belief system they want. Other than gaining MAGA attention dollars, I am not quite sure what the coach thought she was going to gain by speaking out.

[livelovelax]

The massive, larger issue here is that if you don't agree and go along with the liberal narrative, you are cancelled and can be fired. And you are ok with that? That's sick. Public debate is not tolerated any longer. It used to be a hall mark of liberalism. This is banana republic and marxist stuff. One day, it will be you they cancel. The libs are always saying democracy is in the balance, really? Scary times!

Diversity of opinion and content of character is now replaced by diversity, equity and inclusion and pronouns. What a joke.

[whyamihere]

The massive, larger issue here is that if you don't agree and go along with the liberal narrative, you are cancelled and can be fired. And you are ok with that? That's sick. Public debate is not tolerated any longer. It used to be a hall mark of liberalism. This is banana republic and marxist stuff. One day, it will be you they cancel. The libs are always saying democracy is in the balance, really? Scary times!

Diversity of opinion and content of character is now replaced by diversity, equity and inclusion and pronouns. What a joke.

100% agree

[LaxPundit07]

The massive, larger issue here is that if you don't agree and go along with the liberal narrative, you are cancelled and can be fired. And you are ok with that? That's sick. Public debate is not tolerated any longer. It used to be a hall mark of liberalism. This is banana republic and marxist stuff. One day, it will be you they cancel. The libs are always saying democracy is in the balance, really? Scary times!

Diversity of opinion and content of character is now replaced by diversity, equity and inclusion and pronouns. What a joke.

100% agree

I am not okay with anyone being "cancelled". The point I was making was....Oberlin is a private institution and they can create whatever environment there they want. Just like we can believe whatever we want politically in our own homes, they can believe whatever they want politically on their campus. Public universities are a different story. I was speaking to the situation at Oberlin though and how no one should be surprised (doesn't make it right!) she was canned for speaking out in opposition.

[LaxThoughts]

The massive, larger issue here is that if you don't agree and go along with the liberal narrative, you are cancelled and can be fired. And you are ok with that? That's sick. Public debate is not tolerated any longer. It used to be a hall mark of liberalism. This is banana republic and marxist stuff. One day, it will be you they cancel. The libs are always saying democracy is in the balance, really? Scary times!

Diversity of opinion and content of character is now replaced by diversity, equity and inclusion and pronouns. What a joke.

100% agree

I am not okay with anyone being "cancelled". The point I was making was....Oberlin is a private institution and they can create whatever environment there they want. Just like we can believe whatever we want politically in our own homes, they can believe whatever they want politically on their campus. Public universities are a different story. I was speaking to the situation at Oberlin though and how no one should be surprised (doesn't make it right!) she was canned for speaking out in opposition.

No one is surprised. The point is that an institution that claims to be one of higher learning and, especially, liberal arts studies is exercising the utmost hypocrisy in stifling and punishing speech with which its administrators disagree. This is the cancer that has spread throughout the country and colleges and universities have been in the forefront of that debacle. It should be called out for what it is early and often.

[Andersen]

Colleges have been cancelling employees and students for at least 150 years. Good examples are professors at Southern colleges who wrote against Jim Crow Segregation. Another example is professors at Catholic schools with non-conforming views on abortion.
Certainly not saying two wrongs make a right, just that its nothing new at all.