August 1, 2016
As you may know, presentations containing insensitive, disrespectful content were given by two coaches at a football “Chalk Talk for Women” event hosted by the Athletic Department. Like many of you who learned of this, I was and remain dismayed, disappointed and angry. This behavior is not who we as Aggies are and is totally unacceptable. To be clear, this is not a females-only concern, but a human one. In fact, the majority of those weighing in with their disdain have been men who are equally as disturbed by the content presented.
The suspension of the two coaches involved, as well as other disciplinary measures taken, were made swiftly by Coach Sumlin. Of course, this is only a start. To that end, for example, the Athletic Department is engaged in ongoing education that will address this issue.
I have the privilege of witnessing daily the core value of respect demonstrated by our faculty, administrators, staff, students, athletes and coaches. We were proud to announce in July that Texas A&M University was named by College Choice as one of the nation’s top universities for women. We must also be aware of when we fall short of our aspirations and values. We must be willing to be honest when this occurs and work together to drive the positive, enriching, respectful environment that our community deserves.
Michael K. Young
President