Correction: Two errors have been corrected in this story. The first correction is the university investigation into this incident has concluded. This was incorrectly noted in a photo caption. The second correction is that several quotes were incorrectly attributed and should have been attributed to Mike Friel, senior director of communications and public relations for the University.
Editor’s note: The Graphic reached out to the coaches of the Women’s Tennis Team on April 16. On April 17, the interview request was referred to Michael Friel, senior director of communication and public relations. On April 21, a follow-up request was sent. There has been no response.
The Pepperdine Step Team is in contact with Pepperdine authorities after an alleged racially motivated incident with two players on the Women’s Tennis team Thursday, March 27. The incident is bringing to light a possible flaw within Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct, according to members of the Step Team.
The Step Team was practicing for Psi Upsilon’s yearly philanthropy event, Psi U Think You Can Dance (PUTYCD), at around 8 p.m., on the Ralph-Straus tennis courts when the incident occurred, junior Step Team Captain Mia Adu-gyamfi said.
“It was dark, so we couldn’t really see anything at this time, and I had the girls running a drill,” Adu-gyamfi said. “Everybody was on the floor. I had their eyes closed because I wanted them to listen to each other.”
While the team was practicing the drill, team member Zanae Demery heard shouts and yelling from Lower Residence Road. Initially, Adu-gyamfi said she thought it was normal for students to walk along the road, cheer and support the team.
“We’ve been practicing out there since the semester started because we haven’t been able to get access to the studio,” Adu-gyamfi said. “And so I turn around and I smile and wave up there because I’m thinking that somebody’s cheering for us.”
Eventually, Demery alerted the team of passersby shouting racially-motivated noises and slurs toward them, Adu-gymafi said.
“At that moment, we were just A, trying to make out faces, B, in shock and C, trying to figure out, is this really happening?” Adu-gymafi said.
Trevor Molnar, vice president of Philanthropy for Psi U, was one of the witnesses who were walking along Lower Residence Road during this incident. Molnar said he recognized the faces of the two athletes and reported them back to the Step Team.
Step Team Begins Investigation
From there, the investigation began. That night, Adu-gymafi said she sent an email to two directors of Intercultural Affairs detailing the incident.
The next morning, she said filed a harassment report to the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The Step Team submitted a complaint to the Office of Community Belonging after notifying DPS. There, the Office of Community Belonging told the Step Team they were starting an investigation and calling in witnesses and parties involved in the incident.
It would take about a week for the investigation to conclude and be sent to the Office of Community Standards, Adu-gymafi said.
DeKree Antone, a first-year member of the Step Team, said a A DPS officer encouraged her to use social media to spread the word about this incident.
On Tuesday, April 15, nearly three weeks later, the team posted an Instagram post detailing the incident.
With over 3,200 likes, 360 comments and nearly 2,000 shares, the post quickly garnered attention throughout the community.
“We had to take our own action, because sometimes when it comes to formality and when it comes to the processes, we can’t rely on that,” Adu-gymafi said. “Not all the time.”
Other Pepperdine affinity groups, such as Pepperdine Law Student Bar Association and Graziadio Black Student Association, have shared similar posts announcing their solidarity with the Step Team.
“We will continue to stand against racism and fight to ensure that we make Pepperdine a safe place for all,” Pepperdine Law SBA wrote in their Instagram post Friday, April 18.
The names of the two women’s tennis players involved are private, protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This federal law allows students to have “some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.
“There’s no reason why we should be this divisive as a community,” Adu-gyamfi said. “This [Pepperdine] is advertised as a community where everybody should feel safe and everybody should stand up for each other, so we need to make that a reality. Because at the moment, it’s not.”
Lack of Title VI in Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct
This incident brings to light a gap within Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct.
“Pepperdine’s internal policies, including the Code of Conduct, serve as the mechanism through which the University investigates complaints of race, color, national origin, and shared ancestry and ensures compliance with federal law, including Title VI,” wrote Michael Friel, senior director of communications and public relations, in an email to the Graphic.
However, there is no Title VI language used in Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The word “race” is not mentioned once in Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct.
The word “color” is not mentioned once in Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct.
The phrase “national origin” is not mentioned once in Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct.
Similar universities, in either location or Christian foundation, such as Liberty University, Abilene Christian University and UCLA, explicitly contain Title VI within their code of conduct, starkly compared to Pepperdine’s:
When held against the initiatives and policies within Pepperdine’s Title IX department, the weight of Title VI falls short. Title IX comprises of coordinators, office space and a strict Sexual Misconduct Policy.
“Since 2024, the U.S. Department of Education has significantly expanded Title VI guidance, though it remains far less prescriptive than Title IX,” Student Affairs wrote in an April 21 email to the Graphic, via Friel.
The lack of Title VI vocabulary in Pepperdine’s Code of Conduct, Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Code of Ethics is intentional, according to Friel.
“The University’s policy language is intentionally broad to ensure protection across a wide range of potential discriminatory behaviors, while also allowing the University to respond appropriately to evolving legal standards,” Friel wrote.
Pepperdine remains in compliance with the federal law of Title VI, according to Friel, despite the absence of such language.
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Contact Shalom Montgomery via email: shalom.montgomery@pepperdine.edu
