Michigan State Hockey Player Alleges Opponent Used Racist Slurs, Big Ten Finds No 'Indisputable Evidence'

Michigan State hockey player Jagger Joshua, a black forward for the Spartans, has alleged he was the target of racial slurs during a game against Ohio State. The Big Ten has since investigated the matter and found no "indisputable evidence" to levy punishment.

Joshua posted a statement about the allegations on Monday night explaining racial slurs were hurled at him during a game against Ohio State on November 11th, 10 days earlier.

The senior from Dearborn, Mich. alleges in his statement that a Buckeye "called me a racial slur multiple times" and that an official heard the slur and handed the player a game misconduct penalty. The box score from the game shows a 10-minute game misconduct penalty was given to Ohio State's Kamil Sadlocha, a senior forward from Illinois, in the second period.

"The inaction has left me feeling confused and pessimistic about the movement of diversity within hockey culture," Joshua continued. "The ignorance of racism does not belong in our game. And I feel that I need to make people aware that this incident occurred, because without acknowledgement, the problem gets worse."

Big Ten Reviews Video Footage, Finds No "Indisputable Evidence"

The Big Ten shared a statement Monday night with Detroit News that it had collected and evaluated information from the officiating crew, both teams, and video footage from the game. The conference supported the officials giving a game misconduct penalty but has not found evidence to issue further disciplinary action.

"Due to the absence of indisputable evidence presented to the conference, the conference has not imposed further disciplinary action. The Big Ten Conference is committed to providing our student-athletes inclusive environments free from acts of harassment or discrimination in any form."

No Further Punishment From Ohio State

Ohio State also shared a statement explaining it worked hand-in-hand with the conference and "is focused on providing an inclusive environment for all."

SOCCER PLAYERS ALLEGE BYU FANS OF SHOUTING RACIAL SLURS WITH NOTEWORTHY TIMELINE

The player accused by Joshua of shouting racial slurs played in the two games following the alleged incident suggesting no further punishment was handed out.

Joshua sits fifth in points for Michigan State this season with six goals and five assists. He managed two assists in the game against Ohio State on November 10 and has scored one goal over the two games the Spartans have played since the alleged incident.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.