Texas A&M University says it has finished reviewing reported student conduct violations involving a small number of athletes on its men's swimming team and that "appropriate action has been taken."
The university has not said how many swimmers were involved, what they were found to have done or what the consequences were. "In accordance with all student-privacy laws, the university will not comment on individual students," the university said in a statement provided to KBTX.
What has been reported
SwimSwam, the swimming news site that first reported the matter on Tuesday, Oct. 27, wrote that it had learned the violations were related to hazing and that four men no longer appeared on the team's online roster. The university's public statements refer to student conduct violations and do not use the word hazing.
KBTX reported Thursday, Oct. 29, that an athletics spokesperson confirmed some swimmers were off the online roster because of conduct violations but declined to discuss specific athletes. The station said it was unclear whether the swimmers were suspended or off the team for good, that the university had not confirmed which athletes were involved, and that all four remained enrolled according to the university directory.
When asked about their status, the spokesperson told KBTX, "The roster online is up-to-date."
None of the coverage reviewed for this article described a police investigation or criminal charges. KBTX noted that the university itself investigates student conduct violations. No public statement from the swimmers or anyone speaking for them was found.
The coach's letter
Blaire Anderson, who leads the swimming and diving program, sent a letter to team members and parents, which KBTX obtained. In it, she said some of the team's reduced numbers at recent meets were due to illness or injury and some to conduct violations. "The university has completed its review of the reported violations, and action has been taken," she wrote.
