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A University of North Dakota student, Mitchell Miller, faces backlash after becoming a top draft pick for the NHL Coyotes, according to CNN, on Oct 29, 2020.
As first reported by AZ Central, 18-year-old Miller, a white male who plays hockey at the University of North Dakota, has been informed. His career has just been derailed because of an incident that occurred when he was an eighth-grader in Sylvania, Ohio, in 2016.
He bullied Isaiah Meyers Crothers, a disabled Black teen, into eating candy rubbed into a urinal. Miller and fellow classmates also physically assault.
Besides a letter that was told to Miller and the others to write in their juvenile court order, no direct apology was ever offered, according to Crothers’ mother’s interview. She still feels outraged that her son was treated with such hateful treatment.
After the Coyotes discovered Miller’s shameless act toward Crothers, he wrote the NHL team a letter describing how he changed during his community service at Little Miracle.
He added that volunteering with the disability program taught him about his deplorable actions as a young teenager. Miller states he has thought about his behavior over the last four years and feels he is now a better person.
After NHL officials investigated the matter further, the Coyotes are stepping back from their draft pick. They reached this decision based on the nature of the incident involving a disabled Black teen. However, Coyotes management wishes Miller well in his future endeavors.
After the University of North Dakota President Andrew Armacost heard about the incident during a CNN interview with Miller, he met with involved parties. The meetings included Armacost, the hockey coach, the school’s athletic director, Miller, and his parents.
Armacost announced Miller would no longer play on the University of North Dakota hockey team. However, Miller is welcome to continue his education at the university.
Written by David Holmes
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
CNN: NHL’s Coyotes sever ties with top draft pick who admitted to bullying black classmate disabilities, by Homero De la Fuente and Leah Asmelash
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Tony Webster’s Page – Creative Common License