SAN MARCOS, Texas — Jaylen Shead, who started 34 games for Texas State in 2019, has detailed the alleged racism he experienced while playing for Danny Kaspar.
Shead played for Texas State Men’s Basketball for the 2018-2019 season and transferred to WSU Men’s Basketball for his final year.
In a post on social media on Thursday evening, Shead said Kaspar was the reason he transferred before his senior season.
“I could not turn away from the many racially insensitive things that were said to me and other teammates,” he wrote in an emotional statement. “I had never seen someone abuse their power in such a way before, especially someone who claimed he ‘cared about us.’”
Shead alleged the actions occurred on a daily basis.
“We became numb as it was normal,” he said. “His words were not only insensitive to the black community, but others as well. I chose to leave because I knew I’d eventually say something and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to play anywhere or get a coaching job as I want to one day.”
But Shead said he felt he was doing a disservice to those who came after him.
“I watched as many people ignored or [tuned] out his ways, but no more,” he wrote.
Shead continued by outlining things he said he experienced while playing for Kaspar for two years.
Those things included making comments such as “he’s running like the cops are behind him,” according to Shead. Shead also said Kaspar prohibited black players from wearing things such as durags or earrings and placed limits on how players were allowed to wear their hair so as not to “look like ‘gangsters.’”
After Shead’s statement on Thursday night, another former Texas State Men’s Basketball player, Alex Peacock, doubled down on the allegations, saying, “I stand with my boy jaylen and everything he says 100%.” Peacock played for Texas State in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
Before becoming head coach of Texas State in 2013, Kaspar was head coach of the men’s basketball team at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Texas State University Athletic Director Larry Teis issued the following statement on May 5:
"I am aware of the allegations of former Texas State University men’s basketball players regarding racially biased comments attributed to men’s basketball head coach Danny Kaspar. I personally find these allegations deeply troubling.
I, and the entire Department of Athletics staff, take the concerns expressed by our former student-athletes very seriously. At my request, the university has launched a formal investigation through the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX. It is our top priority to fully cooperate with the investigation.
The Department of Athletics is committed to strengthening our university culture that values and supports diversity, equity and inclusion for our student-athletes, staff, and community."
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