Hofstra University is firmly committed to a culture of tolerance, inclusiveness and respect for all members of our community, and we have strong anti-discrimination policies designed to protect all members of our community from unlawful discrimination and harassment. This includes discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. North Carolina's state law known as HB2, which discriminates against the LGBT community, is contrary to our values.
The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), of which Hofstra is a member, includes two universities located in North Carolina. Hofstra is contractually obligated to travel to CAA schools for regular season games, and certain championship tournaments by rule are played at the first place team's campus. Last week, Hofstra voted " no" on the CAA's motion to retain two conference championship tournaments at schools located in North Carolina even though by conference rule those tournaments could have been played elsewhere. We are deeply disappointed that the motion passed, since championship sites at other conference campuses outside of North Carolina were available. We firmly believe that the CAA should have moved these two championships (baseball and tennis) to other available CAA school sites and publicly confirmed that the CAA is opposed to HB2 and discrimination in any form.
Hofstra's position is philosophically aligned with the State of New York's Executive Order prohibiting most travel to North Carolina, and at least four other states have taken similar actions. Moreover, major cultural and entertainment events have been moved from North Carolina, and the NBA and the NCAA have removed certain optional games (i.e., those chosen by committee and not dictated by conference rule) from the State. We do not understand the CAA's unwillingness to join others in taking a firm position opposed to HB2.
We disagree fundamentally with the CAA's decision, and we will not schedule other non-conference games or expend University funds to participate in events voluntarily scheduled in North Carolina until HB2 is repealed. But we must also consider whether our student athletes should be deprived of any possibility of playing in a championship that they would have worked all season to achieve. On balance, we will allow our teams to participate in the two CAA championships scheduled for this spring at CAA school campuses in North Carolina. We remain opposed to the CAA's decision and to any law such as HB2 that discriminates against any person or group, contrary to our community's highest ideals of tolerance, equality and liberty.
