The head baseball coach at Texas Wesleyan University says he isn't recruiting in Colorado any more because too many prospective players have failed drug tests.
Screenshots of emails from head coach Mike Jeffcoat, who spent some time in the MLB, have been shared online. The school confirms the emails are legitimate.
In them, Jeffcoat writes:
"Thanks for your interest in our program. Unfortunately, we are not recruiting players from the state of Colorado. In the past, players have had trouble passing our drug test. We have made a decision not to take a chance on Student-athletes from your state. You can thank your liberal politicians. Best of Luck wherever you decide to play."
Gavin Bell, the student who received that email from Jeffcoat, is a senior at Cherokee Trail High School.
"I'm not trying to get anybody in trouble here," he told 9NEWS. "My intention wasn't trying to get this guy fired. My intention was just to try to play baseball. This wasn't meant to go viral for me or anything."
Bell's former baseball coach at Cherokee Trail High also spoke to 9NEWS and criticized the Texas Wesleyan coach.
"As a coach, you don't have a right to demean a kid or to judge him based on a political idea so I was disgusted," Allan Dyer said. "And, you know, upset and angry."
Texas Wesleyan posted online that the coach's message does not reflect any school policy. They would not comment on the status of Jeffcoat.
"We are aware of the email sent by our baseball coach, and the comments he made are in no way a reflection of Texas Wesleyan University, its values or its recruiting practices.
This is a personnel matter and it is currently under investigation. It is our University policy to not discuss personnel matters, but we want to reiterate that this email does not reflect our values and we do not condone discrimination. This includes discrimination on the basis of race, color, origin, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability or sexuality; or the political legislation of one’s home state. We are committed to providing an inclusive campus for all of our students, faculty, staff, visitors, potential students and their families.
Texas Wesleyan has a long tradition of excellence in athletics and we are committed to recruiting student-athletes who will excel at our university. Like the NAIA’s core values, we are focused on building and recruiting champions of character."
