A collegiate baseball coach in Massachusetts has resigned after a player on the team kept a journal detailing instances of the coach allegedly engaging in racial discrimination.
The University of Massachusetts at Lowell announced Kenneth Harring’s departure on Monday after he spent 19 seasons with the River Hawks.
“I want to thank the university, department, colleagues, coaches, and most importantly, the players that I have coached,” Harring said in his farewell. “After some reflection, I have made the difficult decision to voluntarily resign my position at the university and move on to the next chapter of my career.”
Harring didn’t directly address the racism allegations but said he didn’t want to be a “distraction to the university and program” that he had taken pride in over the years.
“I wish the university and the program, and most of all, the student-athletes all the best successes both on the field and off,” Harring said. “It has been an honor and pleasure to have served as the head coach and be a part of the success story of the UMass Lowell baseball team.”
Rose kept a journal to express his feelings and document each time he felt Harring was racist towards him.
Courtesy of Cedric Rose
According to GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting in Boston, Harring, who is white, resigned after one of the team’s Black players accused the coach of benching him for calling the coach out for being racist. Allegations first surfaced publicly in June after Cedric Rose transferred to the team in 2021. He said Harring treated him differently from his white teammates.
“Nobody else has treated me the way he’s treated me,” Rose told GBH News. “And he’s the one who writes our lineups. There’s nothing I can do about that.”
Rose said he felt he couldn’t talk to anyone about Harring’s treatment, so he kept a journal to express his feelings and document each time he felt Harring was racist towards him.
In an interview with The Daily Beast on Tuesday, Rose said that, in one instance in spring 2021, Harring spoke about politics to him and another player of color, blaming them for President Joe Biden and the high price of gas. Neither of the players had ever mentioned politics to the coach.
“I have never once talked about politics with him,” Rose journaled at the time, according to excerpts published by GBH News. “He has no clue my stand on anything politics but he came up to the 2 colored kids assuming we voted for Biden and wanted to let us know that he voted for Trump.”
GBH News reported that in a journal entry dated September 2022, Rose said Harring blasted a support group at the school for athletes of color, saying, “I actually have a problem with that whole group. If you guys want to be treated equal, I want the same rights. Why can’t I go to the group?”
Additionally, Rose claimed Harring told him to take off an “Equality” shirt he wore during a practice, and made complaints about rap music to players of color.
Rose told The Daily Beast that his teammates were always aware of his journal and his feelings, but it wasn’t until January 2023 when Rose’s roommate allegedly told the assistant coach about the journal. The assistant coach allegedly told Harring, who then confronted Rose about the journal, asked if Rose thought he was racist, and—within a week—booted Rose from the baseball team, GBH News reported.
Rose said the ordeal caused a rift between him and his roommate, who he hasn’t spoken to since he was kicked off the team.
“I genuinely didn’t think I was going to play baseball again,” Rose said. “I thought…everything was thrown out the window.”
The university launched an independent investigation into Rose’s dismissal in March after his family complained about harassment and retaliation, according to GBH News. However, at the time, the probe found that Rose being kicked off the team was justified.
But later in June, UMass at Lowell acknowledged that the probe “revealed interactions that do not align with the university’s commitment to an inclusive and welcoming environment,” GBH News reported.
Rose’s attorney, Ed Burley, told The Daily Beast that Rose and his family have a series of demands for the school, including public apologies from the athletic department, a meeting between Rose and Harring, and recognition of Rose’s accomplishments while with the team. They also want diversity training for staff members and players.
“Coaching is a noble profession and most coaches use their power for good. But some coaches misuse their power,” Burley said in an email. “Evidently, UMass Lowell leadership reached the conclusion that Harring was either unwilling or unable to atone for his conduct. The key question now is will UMass Lowell leadership act to rectify the harm done to Cedric Rose and the Rose Family. What further steps will they take to cleanse and rebuild the baseball program’s culture?”
In a statement to The Daily Beast, UMass at Lowell said the school appreciated Harring’s “contributions to the baseball program” and was looking forward to a “new direction” under interim coach Nick Barese.
However, Rose said he is having issues finding a new home to play baseball next year. He still has a year of playing eligibility but felt the “whole thing has been a burden on my name.”
