Three Liberty football players announced on social media Monday that they are transferring, citing “racial insensitivity” and “cultural incompetence.”
Sophomore cornerbacks Kei’Trel Clark and Tayvion Land made separate statements on their Twitter accounts.
Clark said he appreciates his relationship with his coaches and teammates, but the decision is “bigger than football.”
“Due to the cultural incompetent within multiple levels of leadership, it does not line up with my code of ethics.”
*Announcement* I have entered my name into the transfer portal I will no longer be attending Liberty University please respect my decision ✊🏿. pic.twitter.com/HmsHD7DeRJ
— Kei’Trel (Tre) Clark™️ (@_treclark) June 22, 2020
Land said the “racial insensitivity displayed by leadership at Liberty” led him to his decision and added he hopes to get an opportunity at a school that “respects my culture and provides a comfortable environment.”
PLEASE RESPECT MY DECISION‼️ pic.twitter.com/Ljti2CJOWb
— Tayvion Land (@LandTayvion) June 22, 2020
Less than two weeks ago, women’s basketball player Asia Todd announced she was transferring, also citing “racial insensitivities” at the school.
Earlier this month, Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr. apologized and deleted a Tweet he sent criticizing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s policy to wear masks in public because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Tweet, Falwell said he would wear a mask only if it included images of Northam, whom he referred to as “Governor Blackface.”
Falwell included photographs from the governor’s medical school yearbook that showed a person in blackface and another person in Ku Klux Klan attire. The photos, from 1984, came to light in 2019, and Northam apologized for them.
After the tweet went out, several Black staffers resigned and outraged Black Christian leaders and alumni sent Falwell an open letter in which they wrote, “While your Tweet may have been in jest about Virginia’s governor, it made light of our nation’s painful history of slavery and racism.”
Clark had 38 tackles and six pass breakups last season, while Land had 23 tackles.
A third football payer, senior linebacker Waylen Cozad, who is white, said on Twitter that he will transfer and is “ready for a new opportunity.” He is one of nine players, including three on scholarship, who have transferred or had their names removed from the football roster shortly after players returned to campus on June 1.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.