The New Haven Register reports that Yale senior and men’s basketball captain Jack Montague was in fact expelled, although it has thus far been impossible to verify the official reason behind his expulsion.
The Yale Daily News has reported that Montague withdrew from Yale on February 10, and his permanent departure was announced last week. Beginning this Monday, flyers have appeared—and been torn down, and reappeared—around campus alleging that the Yale men’s basketball team is “supporting a rapist” following a game at which the players wore t-shirts with Montague’s nickname, “Gucci.”
A number of students on Yale’s campus have told Jezebel of Montague’s expulsion this week, but we were unable to confirm this through the school, the athletics department, Montague’s teammates, or Montague himself. Thursday evening, the Register published a quote from Jim Montague, Jack’s father, who pronounced his son’s expulsion “ridiculous” and, in doing so, appeared to have accidentally released a new piece of information.
“We have strict order from our lawyers,” Jim Montague told the Register, explaining he’d been advised not to comment. “Soon enough, I’d love to tell the other side of the story. It’s ridiculous, why he’s expelled. It’s probably going to set some sort of precedent. We’re trying to do things the gentleman’s way, so we’re keeping things close-knit. But you guys will get a story.”
The Register reports that there is no record of an arrest or court hearing involving Montague on file with the Connecticut judicial branch. The university has been unwilling to comment on Montague’s exit; Yale spokesman Tom Conroy told the Register:
“No, the university would not comment on any inquiry about whether a student was disciplined. In accordance with federal law on the privacy of student records (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)), Yale policy is to not release identifiable information from a student’s educational record to the public, unless a student requests that the information be disclosed.”
The Register also quotes a “source close to the basketball team,” who refuted a rumor we’d heard from sources that the team is planning a walkout at an upcoming game.
On Thursday, the Yale Women’s Center re-issued a statement on the matter that removed a sentence speculating on the reason for Montague’s expulsion, stating that “Unfortunately, parts of our original statement have been taken out of context by media outlets, which obstructs the positive conversation we hope to have.” Their full statement, which emphasizes the power of students to shape their own campus climate and social norms, can be read here.
Contact the author at ellie@jezebel.com.
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