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Wake Forest baseball head coach Tom Walter broke his silence on allegations of uttering a homophobic slur along with an expletive on camera during the NCAA tournament loss to Tennessee.
The incident occurred during the fourth inning of the game on Monday, which was broadcast on ESPN, as WFU trailed 6-2. Although there was no audio, viewers observed Walter mouthing an expletive followed by a homophobic slur.
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Shortly after the incident on Tuesday, Walter apologised for his mistake and the hurt his words might have caused to the community, especially during Pride Month.
"I am very sorry for the outburst in frustration last night and I recognize the hurt and disappointment it has caused," Walter wrote in a statement released by school.
"I have seen the videos and while I do not remember the specific moment clearly, that language doesn't reflect my values or the standards of the program. Regardless, I own the consequences and apologies to the University of Tennessee, to Wake Forest University, and the SEC & ACC."
WFU concluded its season with a 39-22 record, following the 11-5 loss to Tennessee in the Knoxville regional title game.
Wake Forest AD issued statement after Tom Walter was caught spitting homophobic slurs
Tom Walter's words brought a negative image to WFU. Athletic Director John Currie was extremely disappointed with the head coach. He released a statement of his own in which he said:
"I am both surprised and deeply disappointed in our head baseball coach Tom Walter for his outburst during last night's baseball game. I feel badly for those most hurt by such words.
"I spoke with Coach Walter immediately after the game and again this morning to address this incident, which is completely out of character for him and does not meet the standards of Wake Forest Athletics, Wake Forest University or the Atlantic Coast Conference."
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.
Walter has been the head coach of Wake Forest since 2010. He made headlines for donating a kidney to one of his players, Kevin Jordan, who was suffering from a serious kidney disease. However, all that goodwill means nothing after his actions on Monday.
The only saving grace for Tom Walter is that he owned up to the mistake and in time, fans can decide if they are truly over it.
