LSE Students’ Union rejects appeal from rugby club over homophobic leaflets
The London School of Economics Students’ Union has upheld a decision to disband the rugby club over homophobic leaflets.
Leaflets, given out by the LSE men’s rugby team earlier this month, warned: “We do not tolerate Poly activities that involve faeces, genetalia and outright homosexual debauchery.”
It also described members of female sports teams as “beast-like women who play sport just so they can come out with us on Wednesdays”.
Following an investigation, the Rugby Club was disbanded for the rest of the academic year, withdrawn from all competitions, and banned from representing LSE or the LSE Student’s Union (LSESU).
The Union’s Trustee Board last week voted to uphold the ban, and reject an appeal from the club.
It said in a statement: “The LSESU Trustee Board has an obligation to protect the legal, financial and reputational health of the organisation and has therefore decided to uphold the decision to disband the LSE Men’s Rugby Club to curtail any further damage to the Union.”
“Furthermore, the LSESU Trustee Board agreed that the sanction would be in place for the rest of the year, and any action to create a new LSE Men’s Rugby Club would be dependent on positive engagement with a rehabilitation process over the coming year.
“Therefore, the actions and behaviours of members of the disbanded LSE Men’s Rugby Club and potential club members will be reviewed by the Trustee Board in May 2015.”
