Staffer stood down over racist Secret Santa gift

1 year ago 102

A subordinate for the Benetton rugby broadside has been suspended successful narration to the racist Secret Santa acquisition fixed to Italian prop Cherif Traore.

Traore said connected societal media helium received a rotten banana astatine the team's end-of-year celebrations.

In a associated connection issued by Benetton and the Italian Rugby Federation, the nine said the suspension was a "precautionary measure", but did not accidental if the subordinate was a subordinate oregon enactment staff.

"Benetton Rugby and the Italian Rugby Federation, successful the aftermath of the matter involving immoderate of the members of the franchise, privation to reiterate their steadfast condemnation of each forms of racism and discrimination, which person nary spot and indispensable not person immoderate spot wrong the Italian rugby movement, athletics and civilian society," the connection read.

"Benetton Rugby and the FIR pass that the Federal Prosecutor's Office has launched the indispensable investigations to ascertain the facts, arsenic good arsenic the corporate and idiosyncratic responsibilities, to support the founding values and estimation of the game.

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"At the aforesaid time, Benetton Rugby has decided to suspend 1 of its members arsenic a precautionary measurement for the full duration of the Public Prosecutor's Office investigations."

Traore was calved successful Guinea and moved to Italy erstwhile helium was 7 years old. He began representing the state astatine Test level successful 2018.

The full club, which plays successful the United Rugby Championship, was summonsed to their grooming crushed earlier successful the week wherever they were addressed by president Amerino Zatta.

In the archetypal instagram post, Traore said helium was utilized to specified acts but was taken aback erstwhile his teammates laughed astatine him.

"Apart from calling the motion offensive, what wounded maine astir and seeing astir of my mates contiguous laughing. As if everything is normal.

"I'm utilized to it, oregon I've had to get utilized to it, having to enactment a brave look connected whenever I perceive racist jokes successful bid to effort not to hatred the radical adjacent to me. Yesterday was antithetic though.

"Thankfully, immoderate friends, particularly foreigners, tried to enactment me. Outside Italy a motion similar this is severely condemned.

"I've been up each night. Young guys from antithetic backgrounds attended this Secret Santa.

"I person decided not to stay soundless this clip to guarantee that episodes similar this don't hap again to forestall different radical uncovering themselves successful my existent concern successful the future."

Irish planetary Simon Zebo responded to connected societal media, calling for the "scumbag" offender to beryllium named and "out of a job".

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