Boston College women’s soccer standout suspended over Sandusky-themed tweets
The Boston College women’s soccer program has suspended one of its top offensive weapons just hours before an NCAA tournament match against Penn State, as a result of some tweets that were quite offensive indeed.
Sophomore striker Stephanie McCaffrey has scored nine goals and six assists in 18 games played, but she will be a spectator when the Eagles visit the Nittany Lions in a second-round tournament match in University Park, Pa. tonight.
McCaffrey used her Twitter account to mock Penn State and their former football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was disgraced and eventually jailed earlier this year for sexually abusing children over a 15-year period.
McCaffrey, a product of highly-respected youth club FC Stars of Massachusetts, made Sandusky- or rape-themed jokes in 10 tweets over a 24-hour period on Wednesday and Thursday. The offensive tweets were soon deleted and her account was subsequently shut down entirely, but the damage was done and BC officials quickly took punitive action.
[ +See a list of some of the offending tweets here ]
“The student-athlete used very poor judgment and exhibited insensitivity toward Penn State, for which she apologizes,” said athletic director Brad Bates in a statement about McCaffrey. “This type of behavior is not tolerated among our student-athletes.”
It is unclear whether McCaffrey would be reinstated for the next round of play should the Eagles upset Penn State. The winner of their match advances to meet either Portland or Michigan in quarterfinal play on Sunday.
