A racial slur posted on Facebook by former Texas backup center Buck Burnette led to the player’s dismissal from the team.
Burnette was dismissed Wednesday by coach Mack Brown, who cited an unspecified violation of team rules. Although Burnette’s Facebook page had been deleted Thursday, screen grabs posted on message boards mentioned the slur and showed Burnette’s subsequent apology.
Shortly after Barack Obama was elected president Tuesday night, Burnette wrote on his Facebook status: “All the hunters gather up, we have a [racial epithet] in the White House.”
Screen captures showed this apology from Burnette before his Facebook page was taken down: “Clearly, I have made a mistake and apologized for it and will pay for it. I received it as a text message from an acquaintance and immaturely put it up on facebook [sic] in the light of the election
. Im [sic] not racist and apologize for offending you. I grew up on a ranch in a small town where that was a real thing and I need to grow up. I sincerely am sorry for being ignorant in thinking that it would be ok [sic] to write that publicly and apologize to you in particular. … I have to be more mature than to put the reputation of my team at stake and to spread that kind of hate which I dont [sic] even believe in. Once again, I sincerely apologize.”
This story reminds me of the 18 year old New England Patriots cheerleader that got dismissed from the squad because of her Facebook photos [Article]. I don’t condone either of these actions, but I think these young adults just don’t quite understand the implications of what they may say and do around their inner circle and the power and influence of the Intertubes.
Imagine when they apply for a job, lets say in the near future or even ten years from now and a prospective employer does a simple Google search on their name. A mistake in their youth may just haunt them for the rest of their life.
I have to admit, not thinking things though and the potential ramifications was a fault of mine when I was their age.