Closed
After a period of 90 days with no new information, cases are considered closed. However, if new information becomes available or there are other updates those will be posted here. Individuals who believe they have been the target of bias, intolerance or discrimination may report an incident to the public incident report form (bias and intolerance) or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (sexual misconduct and discrimination).
Please direct any questions or concerns in regard to this bias incident to the RBIRT Manager at RBIresponse@utah.edu.
What happened
On December 9, 2022, an Instagram story-post tagged the University and described an uncomfortable experience conveyed regarding family members who attended the Utah vs. Jacksonville State men’s basketball game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on December 8th. The University reached out to the Instagram user to seek information about the experience and learned that this individual was not in attendance at the game but provided contact information that ultimately resulted in the University being able to speak by phone with a family member who attended the game. This individual described the conduct of two spectators, seated behind them, as rude and making culturally insensitive comments during the game. One of the spectators, whose attire was described by the individual, was said to have been using the “n-word” at some point during the contest.
The individual indicated they attempted to report the incident through the “FANUP” texting system, but was unsuccessful and received an error message. No arena staff or personnel were made aware of the behaviors at the event. The first indication of an incident came via the third-party Instagram posts the following day. The individual who attended the game, as part of the conversation outlined above, was informed of the process to file a formal report if compelled, as well as contact information to provide additional information.
What is being done
Once the Racist and Bias Incident Response Team (RBIRT) became aware of the Instagram post, RBIRT forwarded the report to the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA) the Office of the Dean of Students Conduct teams, Stadium and Arena Services, as well as the University of Utah Athletics Department. A preliminary investigation is currently being conducted by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA) in the hopes of gaining any additional and actionable information.
If, through the course of the review or investigation (by appropriate investigative body), the individual(s) responsible is identified, and a policy violation is determined to have occurred, the Office of the Dean of Students (if confirmed to be a student), Athletics Department (if confirmed to be a season ticket holder), or other appropriate leader, will act within university policy designed to hold the individual(s) accountable and, if appropriate, provide additional education about the harm caused by this type of behavior.
Stadium and Arena Services and Utah Athletics has reviewed the FANUP reporting system to ensure functionality and ease of use, and tested the system to ensure it is functioning properly.
The University of Utah Athletics Department is committed to providing a positive experience for all who attend intercollegiate athletics events in its facilities. At all Utah Athletics home sporting events information is displayed on signage, and on the video board, as well as through public address reads, about the University’s commitment to promoting good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches and spectators. The U is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and creating a welcoming, respectful and responsible environment during home athletic events.
Utah Athletics’ Fan Engagement & Code of Conduct Expectations are outlined in the FanUP policies which can be found here.
The following message is read by the public address announcer at all Utah Athletics home sporting events:
The Pac-12 Conference has assigned a high priority to assuring Pac-12 athletic events are conducted in a safe and enjoyable atmosphere. Please join the University of Utah in making this event an enjoyable experience for our visitors, student-athletes and all spectators.
Profanity, racial and negative comments will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal.
Make Utah proud by being welcoming, respectful and responsible. If you see a fan behavior issue, text “Fan Up” to 69050.
What to do
Be vigilant, speak up, and stand up for others. Stopping this type of behavior takes collective action, and bystander intervention efforts are one way of combatting such conduct that causes real harm. To learn more about how to incorporate bystander intervention into your toolkit, check out the information here: https://wellness.utah.edu/workshops-training/#bystander.