Football coach who warned against offensive tweets suspended for anti-gay tweets
Cox sent the tweets in 2012 and 2013 (BillMC2018/twitter and coachcoxtxwes/twitter)
An American Football coach who warned students not to “let a tweet ruin your chance” has been suspended after his anti-gay and racist tweets were unearthed.
Kyle Cox, who has coached Texas Wesleyan University’s team since last year, posted that he was “going to lose it” over a book about a gay duck and quoted someone describing going to Chick-fil-A “to show our disdain for the gays.”
He has become the latest in a string of sports stars exposed for their offensive posts, including baseball stars Sean Newcomb and Trea Turner, who apologised last month for sending anti-gay and racist tweets.
Kyle Cox was appointed last year (RobCoxDFW/twitter)
The Atlanta Braves pitcher and Washington Nationals shortstop both posted a slew of tweets which included the slurs “fag” and “faggot.”
Cox’s posts from 2012 and 2013 were discovered after he wrote that students should be careful on Twitter or risk their future, saying: “Unfollowed three recruits today, and it had nothing to do with how they ball.
“What you tweet, retweet, and like tells me a lot about whether or not you’ll be able to make it as a Ram.
“What you tweet, retweet, and like tells me a lot about whether or not you’ll be able to make it as a Ram” (coachcoxtxwes/twitter)
“Don’t let a tweet ruin your chance at getting an education and playing at the next level!”
This led one Twitter user to comb through Cox’s tweets to see if the coach had taken his own advice.
In one of the posts found before he deleted his account, Cox wrote: “Currently reading a children’s book about a gay duck, ostracised by the heterosexual ducks that play football.
“I’m going to lose it.” (coachcoxtxwes/twitter)
“I’m going to lose it.”
In another, he quoted another user, writing: “‘Your mother and I are going to Chick-Fil-A to show our disdain for the gays. See you there?’- @Dale5710 #ChickFilA.”
The account he tagged in that tweet, Dale Cox, also no longer exists.
In 2012, it emerged that Chick-fil-A had donated millions of dollars to anti-gay groups including a gay ‘cure’ organisation (coachcoxtxwes/twitter)
He also referenced the user in another post, tweeting in 2013: “I have been home for 10 minutes, and @Dale5710 says, ‘No one in Obama’s administration is going to Heaven.’
“It’s good to be home” (coachcoxtxwes/twitter)
“It’s good to be home.”
On another occasion, Cox replied to a user: “I’m holding off on a racist joke because I know tensions are high. But yes, unfortunately.”
“I’m holding off on a racist joke” (coachcoxtxwes/twitter)
Yesterday (August 22), his university tweeted that “Texas Wesleyan values an inclusive community and takes all accusations seriously.
“Football coach Kyle Cox was suspended this morning, pending the completion of an investigation into recent allegations.”
Cox was suspended yesterday (TexasWesleyan/twitter)
The coach spent four seasons at Texas Christian University before joining Texas Wesleyan.
In May, Premier League footballer Shane Duffy sparked outrage with a series of tweets containing anti-gay slurs.
The Brighton and Hove Albion player also attacked TV presenter Rylan Clark-Neal, calling him a “thing” during his stint on X Factor.
Shane Duffy (Dan Istitene/Getty)
Fellow footballer Mason Holgate sparked uproar and a Football Association investigation after it was found in January that the Everton full-back had used the words “fag,” “faggotttttttttt,” “a batty” and “battyboy” to refer to other Twitter users.
In November, pop star Ed Sheeran prompted a backlash after repeatedly tweeting that things and people were “no homo” or “so homo.”
Ed Sheeran (Paul Kane/Getty)
Grime artist Stormzy apologised after a flood of tweets in which he repeatedly called people “a f***ing fag,” “faggot” and “gay” were discovered by PinkNews.
(Getty)
The BRIT Award winner called his past comments “foul and offensive,” and spoke directly to the LGBT+ community when he offered his “deepest apologies.”
