CMS - Claremont McKenna/CMC and Harvey Mudd swim team investigated for alleged racism/misconduct ...

[Anonymous]

Really awful story. How is this still happening in 2025? This is the 2nd time it's happening to CMC/Mudd's joint swim team. Why are some athletic team cultures so toxic?


The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men's swim and dive team was temporarily suspended as they underwent an investigation by the Claremont McKenna College (CMC) Office of Civil Rights into “some concerns” about the team’s culture, according to an email from Coach Charlie Griffiths obtained by the Independent.


The temporary suspension arose from a complaint made by a black member of the swim team to CMS athletics in mid-October about the behavior of teammates. The complaint reportedly cited the name of a Clash Royale clan, “Ben Higgers,” that members of the swim team belonged to, and additional in-person commentary made by some swimmers, including referring to each other as “Nate,” or “Higger,” an allusion to the spoonerism “Nate Higgers.” The complainant has since quit the team and moved out of the dorm room he previously shared with a teammate.


After receiving the complaint, CMS Athletics engaged Claremont McKenna’s Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer to consult. The men’s swim and dive team was temporarily suspended, and staff from the CMC Office of Civil Rights conducted interviews with each men’s swim and dive team member, eventually advising that the team remain under suspension “so that each member of the team can reflect.” The investigation also sought information about multiple alleged derogatory remarks made by individual men’s team members about women, including members of the CMS women’s swim and dive team.


Early this week, the majority of the team was back to practice. Lifting the suspension was contingent on each team member providing statements on “the impact of their and their team’s actions and how they plan to contribute positively to the team’s culture.” Sources familiar with the situation told the Independent that two to three members of the team remain under risk of further punishment, including possible season-long suspension.


Members of the team will also be required to “partner with the coaching staff, CMS administrators, and campus partners” to create a curriculum around “recognizing, intervening, and responding when behaviors do not align with community standards,” in an effort to “promote lasting culture changes.”


Men’s team members whose “satisfactory statements” are approved will be permitted to attend their Nov. 15 meet against CalTech, where some Claremont students are reportedly planning to protest the team.


This is the second occurrence of an investigation into CMS swim and dive in recent years—in 2019, following the discovery of the “Stag Survival Guide,” CMC determined team members exhibited "inappropriate” conduct that “justified the assignment of mandatory educational programming for the teams.”

https://www.claremontindependent.com/post/cms-men-s-swim-and-dive-team-investigated-for-misconduct-temporarily-suspended

[Anonymous]

Title should read CMS (Claremont McKenna/Harvey Mudd) joint swim team. Sorry if it's confusing.

CMC/Mudd/Scripps all share sports teams called CMC. But the men's teams only have CMC/Mudd athletes as Scripps is all women.

This article is only about the men's team. No issue with the women's CMS team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really awful story. How is this still happening in 2025? This is the 2nd time it's happening to CMC/Mudd's joint swim team. Why are some athletic team cultures so toxic?


The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men's swim and dive team was temporarily suspended as they underwent an investigation by the Claremont McKenna College (CMC) Office of Civil Rights into “some concerns” about the team’s culture, according to an email from Coach Charlie Griffiths obtained by the Independent.


The temporary suspension arose from a complaint made by a black member of the swim team to CMS athletics in mid-October about the behavior of teammates. The complaint reportedly cited the name of a Clash Royale clan, “Ben Higgers,” that members of the swim team belonged to, and additional in-person commentary made by some swimmers, including referring to each other as “Nate,” or “Higger,” an allusion to the spoonerism “Nate Higgers.” The complainant has since quit the team and moved out of the dorm room he previously shared with a teammate.


After receiving the complaint, CMS Athletics engaged Claremont McKenna’s Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer to consult. The men’s swim and dive team was temporarily suspended, and staff from the CMC Office of Civil Rights conducted interviews with each men’s swim and dive team member, eventually advising that the team remain under suspension “so that each member of the team can reflect.” The investigation also sought information about multiple alleged derogatory remarks made by individual men’s team members about women, including members of the CMS women’s swim and dive team.


Early this week, the majority of the team was back to practice. Lifting the suspension was contingent on each team member providing statements on “the impact of their and their team’s actions and how they plan to contribute positively to the team’s culture.” Sources familiar with the situation told the Independent that two to three members of the team remain under risk of further punishment, including possible season-long suspension.


Members of the team will also be required to “partner with the coaching staff, CMS administrators, and campus partners” to create a curriculum around “recognizing, intervening, and responding when behaviors do not align with community standards,” in an effort to “promote lasting culture changes.”


Men’s team members whose “satisfactory statements” are approved will be permitted to attend their Nov. 15 meet against CalTech, where some Claremont students are reportedly planning to protest the team.


This is the second occurrence of an investigation into CMS swim and dive in recent years—in 2019, following the discovery of the “Stag Survival Guide,” CMC determined team members exhibited "inappropriate” conduct that “justified the assignment of mandatory educational programming for the teams.”

https://www.claremontindependent.com/post/cms-men-s-swim-and-dive-team-investigated-for-misconduct-temporarily-suspended

Gross.

[Anonymous]

It seems to be a problem there. 2022 men’s soccer season cancelled due to hazing for one. There are several more teams with similar in recent history. Bro culture?

[Anonymous]

Even more shocking is that the men's CMC/Mudd swim team already had a sexist scandal 5 years ago, and now with new team it's happened again.

Here's some coverage on CMS's sexism scandal from 2020:

https://scrippsvoice.com/the-stag-survival-guide-final-straw-for-3-swimmers-who-quit-cms-womens-swim-team/

https://tsl.news/stag-survival-guide/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to be a problem there. 2022 men’s soccer season cancelled due to hazing for one. There are several more teams with similar in recent history. Bro culture?

yeah seems like cmc & mudd's athletic team culture is toxic.

[Anonymous]

I hope they get expelled. There should be no excuse for racism or sexism like that.

[Anonymous]

There seems to be a pattern of problematic culture on the CMC-Mudd male sports teams.

This is not the first time they've been suspended or expelled. CMC-Mudd soccer and swim teams have been punished for racist-sexist misconduct and hazing before!

That it keeps happening makes me question the coaches and school culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a pattern of problematic culture on the CMC-Mudd male sports teams.

This is not the first time they've been suspended or expelled. CMC-Mudd soccer and swim teams have been punished for racist-sexist misconduct and hazing before!

That it keeps happening makes me question the coaches and school culture.

+1 "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" if this kind of behavior keeps happening at the same place and all they do is "suspend" the team for a short period. Nothing apparently changes. Why do they admit these kinds of people to their school? Why do they create this kind of bigoted and prejudiced and bullying sports culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a pattern of problematic culture on the CMC-Mudd male sports teams.

This is not the first time they've been suspended or expelled. CMC-Mudd soccer and swim teams have been punished for racist-sexist misconduct and hazing before!

That it keeps happening makes me question the coaches and school culture.

+1 "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" if this kind of behavior keeps happening at the same place and all they do is "suspend" the team for a short period. Nothing apparently changes. Why do they admit these kinds of people to their school? Why do they create this kind of bigoted and prejudiced and bullying sports culture?

I wish there was more readily available info on the school sports culture in advance of applying, not just when newspaper article exposes are written. This most recent example when the men's CMC/Mudd team is calling themselves "Nate Higgers" (reverse the two first letters and you see what they were really trying to spell) is utterly disgusting and inexcusable.

And as you said, it's been a pattern with CMC/Mudd men's sports teams. Given how small those 2 colleges are, the sports teams really do impact the overall social culture. Scary that these kinds of racists were admitted to such "prestigious" colleges!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a pattern of problematic culture on the CMC-Mudd male sports teams.

This is not the first time they've been suspended or expelled. CMC-Mudd soccer and swim teams have been punished for racist-sexist misconduct and hazing before!

That it keeps happening makes me question the coaches and school culture.

+1 "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" if this kind of behavior keeps happening at the same place and all they do is "suspend" the team for a short period. Nothing apparently changes. Why do they admit these kinds of people to their school? Why do they create this kind of bigoted and prejudiced and bullying sports culture?

I wish there was more readily available info on the school sports culture in advance of applying, not just when newspaper article exposes are written. This most recent example when the men's CMC/Mudd team is calling themselves "Nate Higgers" (reverse the two first letters and you see what they were really trying to spell) is utterly disgusting and inexcusable.

And as you said, it's been a pattern with CMC/Mudd men's sports teams. Given how small those 2 colleges are, the sports teams really do impact the overall social culture. Scary that these kinds of racists were admitted to such "prestigious" colleges!

There are very few (possibly zero) Black athletes on CMC-Mudd's men's sports teams. In fact there are very few Black students at CMC. Now I see why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a pattern of problematic culture on the CMC-Mudd male sports teams.

This is not the first time they've been suspended or expelled. CMC-Mudd soccer and swim teams have been punished for racist-sexist misconduct and hazing before!

That it keeps happening makes me question the coaches and school culture.

+1 "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" if this kind of behavior keeps happening at the same place and all they do is "suspend" the team for a short period. Nothing apparently changes. Why do they admit these kinds of people to their school? Why do they create this kind of bigoted and prejudiced and bullying sports culture?

I wish there was more readily available info on the school sports culture in advance of applying, not just when newspaper article exposes are written. This most recent example when the men's CMC/Mudd team is calling themselves "Nate Higgers" (reverse the two first letters and you see what they were really trying to spell) is utterly disgusting and inexcusable.

And as you said, it's been a pattern with CMC/Mudd men's sports teams. Given how small those 2 colleges are, the sports teams really do impact the overall social culture. Scary that these kinds of racists were admitted to such "prestigious" colleges!

There are very few (possibly zero) Black athletes on CMC-Mudd's men's sports teams. In fact there are very few Black students at CMC. Now I see why.

Didn't OP write that the swimmer athlete is black? So at least one black athlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be a pattern of problematic culture on the CMC-Mudd male sports teams.

This is not the first time they've been suspended or expelled. CMC-Mudd soccer and swim teams have been punished for racist-sexist misconduct and hazing before!

That it keeps happening makes me question the coaches and school culture.

+1 "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" if this kind of behavior keeps happening at the same place and all they do is "suspend" the team for a short period. Nothing apparently changes. Why do they admit these kinds of people to their school? Why do they create this kind of bigoted and prejudiced and bullying sports culture?

I wish there was more readily available info on the school sports culture in advance of applying, not just when newspaper article exposes are written. This most recent example when the men's CMC/Mudd team is calling themselves "Nate Higgers" (reverse the two first letters and you see what they were really trying to spell) is utterly disgusting and inexcusable.

And as you said, it's been a pattern with CMC/Mudd men's sports teams. Given how small those 2 colleges are, the sports teams really do impact the overall social culture. Scary that these kinds of racists were admitted to such "prestigious" colleges!

There are very few (possibly zero) Black athletes on CMC-Mudd's men's sports teams. In fact there are very few Black students at CMC. Now I see why.

Didn't OP write that the swimmer athlete is black? So at least one black athlete.

No the Black athlete asked to switch roommates after he learned about the racist group chat from other (non-Black) racist athletes who called themselves "Nate Higgers". Gross.