UCLA's track and field coach Avery Anderson announced the dismissal of Chris Weiland, a former student athlete, on Monday following a viral clip featuring Weiland saying the N-word.
- Feb 24, 2021
AceShowbiz - An athlete at UCLA was dismissed from the cross country and track & field team after he was heard saying the N-word in a video recording that surfaced online. UCLA Athletics made the announcement regarding Chris Weiland, a former student athlete, on Monday, February 22.
"Chris Weiland has been dismissed as a member of the cross country and track and field teams," head coach Avery Anderson revealed in a statement. "When first learning of this a few months ago, I was disgusted and immediately suspended him indefinitely from the team."
"Even in my disgust, as a coach, my intentions are always to lead and educate and make the change happen that I want to see in this world. I can talk about changing the world, or I can put in the work to do so. And that is what I have done over the last few months with this individual," he went on to say.
Anderson added that he decided to reinstate the senior at the Los Angeles university to the team in January. "However, after team members and the athletic community expressed concern, it became clear that his continued involvement with the team is incompatible with the culture of mutual support and respect we're fostering. I now realize that the decision to reinstate him was not the right decision, and that the action today is best for the well-being of our team," he concluded.
Over the weekend, an Instagram account named "ucla_is_racist" posted a video featuring Weiland using racist and homophobic slurs while he was on the phone. In the clip, he was heard ranting about how his girlfriend cheated on him with another man.
"It's because she wants to be with this f***ing f*** who has no future," Weiland allegedly said. "She's going to be with a stupid n***a who's going to be in community college all his life."
When the woman on the other line told him not to talk like that and reminded him that he also cheated on his girlfriend, Weiland refused to hear her. Instead, he accused her of trying to justify his girlfriend "being a little s**t."
