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Petition calls for firing of Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys
Over 400 people have signed a petition on MoveOn.org which calls for the firing of Minnesota football coach Tracy Claeys.
After players ended their boycott of team activities leading up to the Holiday Bowl, Claeys tweeted, “Have never been more proud of our kids. I respect their rights & support their effort to make a better world!”
The boycott was over the recent suspension of 10 players accused of sexual assault, and the petition notes that Claeys did not mention the respect that women deserve.
“Claeys’ tweet expressing his pride in the team failed to mention or acknowledge the importance of respecting women,” it says. “Further, it did not condemn violence, sexual assault or disrespect of women. We feel this is not at all acceptable.”
Prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges, and the players thought the matter was behind them. But a separate school investigation concluded Wednesday that the athletes violated a policy adopted last year that defines sexual assault as anything without a "clear and unambiguous" expression of consent.
Minnesota faces Washington State Dec. 27.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
