Current:Home > Contact-usLA Times updates controversial column after claims of blatant sexism by LSU's Kim Mulkey-InfoLens
LA Times updates controversial column after claims of blatant sexism by LSU's Kim Mulkey
View Date:2025-01-09 08:17:59
After some scathing criticism from LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey, the Los Angeles Times has updated a column it published before Saturday's LSU-UCLA matchup in the NCAA Tournament because it "did not meet Times editorial standards."
Mulkey went on an extended rant over what she called "sexist" language in the column, which originally called the game vs. UCLA a battle of "good vs. evil." In particular, Mulkey objected to the description of her defending NCAA champion Lady Tigers as "dirty debutantes."
That phrase, along with references to LSU as "villains," and references to UCLA as "milk and cookies" and "America's sweethearts" were also removed from the column (though "America’s sweethearts vs. its basketball villains" remained in the headline and the online link).
"How dare people attack kids like that?" Mulkey asked reporters at her postgame press conference on Saturday. "You don't have to like the way we play. You don't have to like the way we trash talk. You don't have to like any of that. We're good with that.
"But I can't sit up here as a mother and a grandmother and a leader of young people and allow somebody to say that."
FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.
Then on Sunday morning, Mulkey said she was informed of the updates to the column "maybe an hour and a half ago," and she was not expecting an apology.
"Personally, no one has reached out to me. Nor do I require that," Mulkey said.
In addtion, UCLA coach Cori Close apologized Saturday for sharing a link to the controversial column earlier in the day.
“I made a huge mistake in reposting without reading it first, and I am very sorry for that,” Close wrote in a post on X. “I would never want to promote anything that tears down a group of people in our great game."
Close also apologized to Mulkey and the LSU players. “I do not condone racism, sexism or inflammatory comments aimed at individuals in our community,” she said. “I hope that I have proven over time with my behaviors and choices this was an isolated mistake and not the intention of my heart."
Hailey Van Lith: Comments are 'racist towards my teammates'
LSU guard Hailey Van Lith addressed the article after the Sweet 16 game, confirming that she and the team did read it before the matchup against the Bruins. She said she wished the team didn't read it and defended her teammates.
"We do have a lot of Black women on this team. We do have a lot of people that are from different areas," Van Lith said. "Unfortunately, that bias does exist still today, and a lot of the people that are making those comments are being racist towards my teammates."
Van Lith, who is white, pointed out the difference in treatment for whenever she trash talks vs. when Angel Reese does the same. She added the words in the article were "very sad and upsetting."
"... I know for a fact that people see us differently because we do have a lot of Black women on our team who have an attitude and like to talk trash and people feel a way about it," Van Lith said. "At the end of the day, I'm rocking with them because they don't let that change who they are. They stay true to themselves, and so I'll have their back."
LSU won the game 78-69 to advance to an Elite Eight matchup Monday night against top-seeded Iowa.
Contributing: Nancy Armour, Jordan Mendoza
veryGood! (763)
Related
- Brands Our Editors Are Thankful For in 2024
- Stassi Schroeder Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2 With Beau Clark
- Ashley Park Reveals What It’s Like Working With Selena Gomez on Only Murders in the Building
- Savor your coffee; someone probably lost sleep over it
- See Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess' Blended Family Photos
- Presley Gerber Gets Candid on His Depression, Mental Health and “Mistakes”
- Austin Butler Recalls the Worst Fashion Trend He’s Ever Been a Part Of
- RHONJ's Melissa Gorga Says It's Sad Teresa Giudice's Daughters Have Hate for Her and Joe Gorga
- Florida Man Arrested for Cold Case Double Murder Almost 50 Years Later
- Remembering Oscar-winning actor and British Parliament member Glenda Jackson
Ranking
- Veterans Day restaurant deals 2024: More than 80 discounts, including free meals
- Thinking she had just months to live, Laura Dern's mother 'spilled the beans'
- Below Deck's Captain Lee Rosbach Finally Returns After Leaving Season 10 for Health Issues
- Kelly Clarkson wants you to know her new album isn't just a sad divorce record
- Michelle Obama Is Diving Back into the Dating World—But It’s Not What You Think
- Some advice from filmmaker Cheryl Dunye: 'Keep putting yourself out where you belong'
- TV reboots have to answer one question: Why now? Just look at 'Justified'
- Ted Lasso Season 3 Trailer Proves a Battle Is Brewing On and Off the Soccer Field
Recommendation
-
See Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Winning NFL Outing With Kids Zuma and Apollo
-
A rare battle at the Supreme Court; plus, Asian Americans and affirmative action
-
Transcript: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Face the Nation, March 12, 2023
-
Paris Hilton's New Family Photo With Kathy Hilton and Baby Phoenix Perfectly Showcases a Mother's Love
-
Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, gets engaged to girlfriend Amanda Dubin
-
Patti LuPone talks quitting Broadway and palming cell phones
-
Miss Netherlands crowns its first openly trans woman Rikkie Valerie Kollé
-
Crack in French nuclear reactor pipe highlights maintenance issues for state-run EDF's aging plants