In some sense, if you chose to play sports at Brigham Young University, you knew what you’re getting into, but in another sense this is the dumbest thing I’ve read in my life.
A university in the US state of Utah has suspended a star basketball player for having pre-marital sex with his girlfriend in violation of the school’s strict “honour code”.
Brandon Davies was dropped after admitting the transgression to staff at Brigham Young University (BYU).
His team, ranked 3rd in the nation in college basketball, went on to lose against an unranked team on Wednesday.
The BYU honour code requires students to be “chaste and virtuous”.
BYU officials have defended the decision after the news was first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, saying that students are fully aware of the rigorous code, and often choose the school because of it.
“We live this. This is who we are,” said Tom Holmoe, BYU athletic director.
I’m actually in favor of making student-athletes live up to a high standard of personal conduct. But having sex with your girlfriend (or boyfriend) is a pretty integral part of the college experience. You can give up keg stands and bong hits, but let’s not be ridiculous. If he slapped his girlfriend? Yeah, go ahead and kick him off the team, or even out of the university. If he made love to her? Leave him alone.
