K-State athletes threaten boycott unless racist students expelled

Kansas State football players say they will boycott all team activities until administrators agree to expel students for “openly racist, threatening or disrespectful actions.”  The impetus to this demand was this tweet by student Jaden McNeil: “Congratulations to George Floyd on being drug free for an entire month!”  University President Richard Myers said punishment is being considered, because “divisive statements do not represent the values of our university.”  College athletes across the country have been pushing for social justice ever since Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 while detained by police in Minneapolis.  Kansas State football players aren’t currently participating in any workouts because team activities were suspended earlier this month after a coronavirus outbreak within the team.  Summer workouts are expected to resume July 13.  McNeil describes himself as the founder of a conservative group called America First Students, “a mainstream, Christian, conservative organization that supports President Donald Trump.”  

Dear President Myers: Beware the slippery slope.  Do you really want to expel students for being “disrespectful”?  And how do you define “openly racist”?  Does “Kung flu” qualify?  Or “White lives matter”?