Michigan State hockey player Jagger Joshua alleges an opponent at Ohio State University directed a racial slur at him throughout the game, reported ESPN. Meaning, Joshua heard these slurs several times during the duration of the game. Joshua, a Black man, shared his experience via social media after defeating the Buckeyes, 4-3.
Joshua admitted one of the referees in the game overheard one of the slurs and gifted the opposing player a game misconduct penalty. Sadly, Ohio State senior Kamil Sadloch was the only player for the Buckeyes who were given misconduct throughout the entirety of the game. Naturally, this can only lead one to believe the racial slurs came from Sadloch.
As a result, the Big Ten collected the information from the conference referees with both video footage and audio that supported the in-game penalty on Sadloch.
Michigan State hockey player Jagger Joshua alleged an opponent from Ohio State directed a racial slur at him multiple times during a game earlier this month. https://t.co/HijY5jYjle
— ESPN (@espn) November 22, 2022
“Due to the absence of indisputable evidence presented to the conference, the conference has not imposed further disciplinary action,” the Big Ten said in a statement.
Jagger Joshua’s Thoughts
After the game, Joshua said he was motivated to publicly share his story and clarify the events that occurred. He believes if this isn’t checked now the ugliness of racism will only grow within the sport.
“Acts of racism do not belong in hockey, as they can discourage African Americans and [others] like myself from playing and loving the game,” Joshua wrote in his post. “Inaction in the face of racist comments and actions allows these behaviors to continue.
“The inaction has left me feeling confused and pessimistic about the movement of diversity within hockey culture.”
Naturally, Ohio State attempted to stand in front of this alleged scandal. They attempted to take this head-on, however, there’s more information to be disclosed before any action can be taken by the University.
“Ohio State is focused on providing an inclusive and supportive environment for all,” the school said in a statement.
