Soccer Players Suspended for a Game After Blackface Incident

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A private Christian university in Spokane says five members of the women's soccer team were suspended from a match after a social media post surfaced showing them dressed in blackface and afro wigs.

Whitworth University says the players were suspended from a game Wednesday following their actions at an unofficial team event Monday night. The Spokesman Review reports the players were attempting to appear as members of The Jackson 5 at an informal event at a local bowling alley.

Head coach Jael Hagerott said in a statement that while the players' "intentions were not malicious, the outcome of their actions was painful for many" in the community. His decision was supported by the university's administration.

KXLY-TV reports that no further punishment will be taken by the university athletics department. But a separate investigation involving student conduct is moving forward.