Lancaster Uni rugby player banned from SU club after doing Nazi salutes outside entrance

He said ‘I’m a bit racist and think it’s funny’ when called out by security

3 years ago

A member of Lancaster Uni rugby club was banned from Sugar during the first term of 2019 for doing Nazi salutes outside the entrance.

The student marched up and down Sugar House Alley doing Nazi salutes after being turned away for being too drunk.

Two members of security staff confronted the student who reportedly said he was doing the Nazi salutes “because he ‘thought it was funny'”. One security guard decided to challenge the fresher outside of the Students’ Union club. The student responded: “I’m a racist” and laughed in the security guard’s face.

Two members of The Sugarhouse security spoke to The Lancaster Tab about the incident on the condition of anonymity, out of concern for their jobs if their identities were made public. Despite this, in light of the attack made towards Max Kafula last week, they felt it needed exposing.

One Sugarhouse security guard told The Lancaster Tab he had witnessed the “worst behaviour Lancaster has to offer” during his role at Sugar.

Another member of security who witnessed the incident told The Lancaster Tab they managed to get his name and identified him as a member of LURUFC. “He has been banned from Sugar ever since. Although, he has snuck in a few times and each time he has apologised for his behaviour and insisted ‘he isn’t like that’,” they told The Lancaster Tab.

Both security guards said they were aware that the incident was reported to the university and the individual was “pulled up to a committee” where he “denied any knowledge of the incident” despite “having admitted and apologised for his behaviour.”

The second security guard added that after the student was told he would not be allowed into Sugar again, but “on multiple occasions he tried to sneak in and managed it. He only apologised after a few times but it wasn’t sincere.”

One security guard said LURUFC had told them the member was unwelcome in the society, is banned from socials and is no longer played in games. “But it’s abhorrent that they can’t uphold their own anti-racist values by removing him,” the security guard added

He also said that he still has to see the student on campus and is expected to interact with him politely at work. He said it “sickens me to my stomach” as he felt the student had got away without consequences.

When security approached the student to ask “what he was doing”, the student “acknowledged he was doing Nazi salutes because he ‘thought it was funny’.”

One security guard explained that whilst they understand freshers are “going out for the first time in their life at this stage” they attempted to explain that what he was doing was “racist and utterly unacceptable”.

Security didn’t receive the apology they expected, as the student said “yeah and what, I’m a bit racist and think it’s funny'”.

An LURUFC club spokesperson said: “Lancaster University Rugby Union Football Club can confirm that an investigation was carried out last year following an incident at the Sugarhouse.

“The incident took place following a club social at a different venue. The Rugby Club does not tolerate racism, and therefore reported the matter to the students’ union at the first opportunity.

“Disciplinary procedures were followed by the club with the support of the Students’ Union, and sanctions were brought against the club member responsible.

“The incident was considered serious enough for the students’ union to ban the individual from the Sugarhouse, and refer the matter to the university’s Student Conduct Officer and Deanery, who have responsibility for handling allegations relating to individual students.

“The Rugby Club finds racism completely unacceptable and is committed to challenging behaviour of this kind.”