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:2025-01-10 03:52:14
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! (1378)
Related
- Opinion: Chris Wallace leaves CNN to go 'where the action' is. Why it matters
- Dow hits 40,000 for the first time as bull market accelerates
- Harris reports Beyoncé tickets from the singer as White House releases financial disclosures
- Biden asserts executive privilege over recording of interview with special counsel demanded by House Republicans
- Round 2 in the Trump-vs-Mexico matchup looks ominous for Mexico
- Arkansas Supreme Court upholds 2021 voting restrictions that state judge found unconstitutional
- State Department removes Cuba from short list of countries deemed uncooperative on counterterrorism
- Supreme Court upholds funding structure for CFPB
- See Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Winning NFL Outing With Kids Zuma and Apollo
- As countries tighten anti-gay laws, more and more LGBTQ+ migrants seek safety and asylum in Europe
Ranking
- Advocates Expect Maryland to Drive Climate Action When Trump Returns to Washington
- Finnish carrier will resume Estonia flights in June after GPS interference prevented landings
- Tinder survey says men and women misinterpret what they want from dating apps
- New Miss USA Savannah Gankiewicz crowned after former titleholders resign amid controversy
- 15 new movies you'll want to stream this holiday season, from 'Emilia Perez' to 'Maria'
- LA County unleashes sterile mosquitoes to control the population. Here's how it works.
- The Alchemy Is Palpable Between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on Vacation in Lake Como
- Kansas governor vetoes a third plan for cutting taxes. One GOP leader calls it ‘spiteful’
Recommendation
-
Texas now tops in SEC? Miami in trouble? Five overreactions to college football Week 11
-
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pardons Daniel Perry, who killed Black Lives Matter protester in 2020
-
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed as China stocks get bump from new property measures
-
New Miss USA Savannah Gankiewicz crowned after former titleholders resign amid controversy
-
Why Josh O'Connor Calls Sex Scenes Least Sexy Thing After Challengers With Zendaya and Mike Faist
-
French police fatally shoot a man suspected of planning to set fire to a synagogue
-
California university president put on leave after announcing agreement with pro-Palestinian group
-
Rocky Mountains hiker disappears after texting friend he'd reached the summit of Longs Peak