Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn has issued an apology to a veteran that was reportedly verbally harassed by two Auburn football players. The players used vulgar language towards Ashley Ozyurt after she asked the players to not whistle or try to distract her service dog.
Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn apologized to a female veteran this week for the actions of two unnamed players, who reportedly harassed the woman on campus.
According to an AL.com report, 25-year-old Ashley Ozyurt was walking to class with her service dog on Tuesday morning when the two players “started verbally accosting her, mocking her, hissing [and] making kissing sounds [at the dog],” Shari Duval, president of K9s for Warriors, said. When asked to stop, the players reportedly responded with profanity.
Duval said the players have admitted to their role in the incident, and multiple people on Auburn’s staff reached out to Ozyurt to apologize. Ozyurt says Malzahn and assistant athletic director of football David Gunn both called her on Tuesday.
“Auburn University condemns any behavior that is demeaning to those with disabilities,” Mike Clardy, Auburn’s director of university communications, said in statement to AL.com. “We’re investigating the reports and will take all appropriate action once all the facts are known.”
There is no telling what kind of punishment the players involved will receive for their actions, but whatever it is probably isn’t enough. For them to act this way towards a veteran and a student is absolutely absurd, and I hope they are reminded daily for the foreseeable future that things like this are unacceptable not only at Auburn, but everywhere.
