The women’s basketball team at the University of Vancouver Island lost in the first round of the National Association of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday against Mohawk College.
The loss marked the end of a controversial championship race for the program after a dispute of a season with the rival Columbia Bible College about the transgender player of Viu, Harriette Mackenzie. Viu will continue playing in the tournament despite the loss, competing in the group of a loser.
Mackenzie played a prominent role in the attempt to keep the hopes of the Viu championship alive on Wednesday, leading the team with 20 points and 17 rebounds. No other player on the VIU list registered more than eight points or five rebounds.
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Mackenzie’s Instagram account also seemed to be disabled after the loss. He had been active as recently as Wednesday morning.
Mackenzie and Viu declined to comment in response to a Pak Gazette Digital application.
Mackenzie was recently appointed All-Canadian for the second time and took Viu to a victory in the Pacwest tournament over CBC, the winning honors of the MVP of the tournament. Mackenzie was the player of the conference year in 2023.
Mackenzie can return for another university season because CCAA provides athletes for five years of eligibility.
The VIU dispute with CBC began during a October 25 game between the two teams, which Viu won 69-56 after Mackenzie scored 19 points in the game. Five days after that game, the athlete published an Instagram video alleging that CBC coach Taylor Clock “cornered one of our Atlético staff and went to a diatribe about how he shouldn’t be able to play.”
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It was also alleged that Mackenzie was deliberately committed to the ground by a CBC player. In response, Claggett published his own statement on Instagram, claiming that Mackenzie’s statements were inaccurate.
“My intention has nothing to do with a specific athlete, but instead, the safety of female athletes in their sport,” Catgett wrote.
Viu then filed a formal complaint to Pacwest, which caused an investigation against Viu. When the two teams were scheduled to play each other again in two games from January 10 to 11, Viu refused to play due to the alleged incident of his first meetings.
“Intimidation, harassment and discrimination do not take place in athletics,” Viu said in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital in January about the decision not to play. “VIU supports our students athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well -being.”
Viu requested that the two losses do not count as losses in the team record, which was granted by the Pacwest.
CBC provided a statement to Pak Gazette Digital that weekend indicating “accusations that CBC, their coaches, players and fans are a threat of security are simply false and poorly informed.”
CBC players then condemned Mackenzie in a letter sent to Pak Gazette Digital.
CBC players blamed Mackenzie for “personal attacks”, “defamatory comments” and even “comments that incite violence” against their coach.
“The videos and letters published by members of the Viu female basketball team in the last three months have directly violated multiple rules established in article 17.2 of the Manual. Several publications have included ‘personal attacks’ ‘,’ defamatory comments ‘, lack of respect for the Pacwest’ and led to ‘comments that incite violence and/or hate’ aimed at our coach”, the letter declared.
“Each and every one of the accusations made by Viu players regarding our team and coach should have been directly communicated to Pacwest Solo officials, they should not have been publicly uploaded to social networks.”
The Pacwest suspended Catgett in early February, and CBC lost the right to organize the Pacwest championship after an investigation of the conference.
As of June 2017, all places within Canada were ordered to comply with the Canadian Human Rights LawEqual opportunities and/or legislation against discrimination that prohibits discrimination against gender identity or the expression of gender identity. This law protects the inclusion of all trans athletes in women’s and girls sports.
