UK Director of Athletics responds to video that seems to show Kentucky fan using racial slur

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart is responding to a video going viral on Twitter that appears to show a University of Kentucky fan calling a Tennessee fan a racial slur at Rupp Arena Tuesday night in Lexington.

Some fans are sharing it and calling on the University of Kentucky to ban the woman from Rupp.

Tennessee fan Ethan Williams says he recorded the video. In it, you can hear him laughing and shouting, “why are you leaving?” to Kentucky fans towards the end of the game.

A woman in the video shouts back the n-word and “thug”. She has not been identified.

A second Twitter user, @_kxy3, confirms she also recorded the incident in a separate video.

The Wildcats lost a 17 point lead in the second half to lose against the Vols 81 to 73.

Several Solid Blue fans have responded, calling on UK to take action in some way. Others, including UK Wide Receiver Coach Lamar Thomas, say the woman in the video doesn’t represent the Big Blue Nation.

Wow , Unbelievable!!!! This truly does not the represent #BBN.

— Coach Lamar Thomas (@LamarCoachT) March 4, 2020

Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart says the woman isn’t a season ticket holder and will face consequences.

He tweeted, “An incident like the one that took place last night at Rupp Arena has no place at the University of Kentucky. There will be consequences for this unacceptable behavior and they will be announced once communicated to the offending party. While the person in question is not a season ticket holder, there are still ways to ensure those actions are not repeated at future UK events. We also have reached out to the patron who was the victim of this abusive and inexcusable language to apologize personally. That’s not who we are as an athletics department.”

An incident like the one that took place last night at Rupp Arena has no place at the University of Kentucky. There will be consequences for this unacceptable behavior and they will be announced once communicated to the offending party.

— Mitch Barnhart (@UKMitchBarnhart) March 5, 2020