Letter: Hateful policies and the ripple effect on college athletics in North Dakota

The news headlines in North Dakota have been a real black eye for equity and equality with recently passed bills banning books from libraries and anti-transgender legislation.

What gives teachers and state officials the right to out someone and be disrespectful? Disturbing the peace of others by putting them down doesn’t feel like a First Amendment right.

Consider this irony, though; the signing of HB 1522, HB 1249 and HB 1489 could be a recipe for disaster for the fabric of North Dakota’s identity.

Without major professional sports teams in the state, University of North Dakota hockey and North Dakota State University football dominate the landscape. UND has hosted five NCAA hockey regionals since 2015, and NDSU has hosted three NCAA FCS playoff games in 11 of the last 12 seasons.

Why does that matter? The country’s outrage over Penn swimmer Lia Thomas; the hate for her is embarrassing. It’s not beneath the NCAA to ban NCAA championship contests in states with discriminatory laws. Ask UND fans about the NCAA’s ability to invoke change. Protecting student-athletes from hate and discrimination is paramount to inclusion, and the road to Frisco or the Frozen Four is much longer as an away team.

While this is hypothetical, this isn’t far-fetched. Before supporting or passing hateful bills, consider these laws’ trickle-down effects and how they affect state economies and universities since there’s no regard for human beings. Eventually, these laws will affect you.

Matthew Scheerer, Moorhead, is a former college athletics administrator.

This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum’s editorial board nor Forum ownership.