Protestors Demand Belmont University An Apology For Firing Women’s Soccer Coach Lisa Howe Based Strictly On Sexual Orientation; University Releases Statement Saying It Supports Student’s Right To Express Opinion

Protestors Sunday called for Belmont University to issue “an international apology to gays and lesbians worldwide” for firing its women’s soccer coach solely based on her sexual orientation, the Tennessean reports. Guy Farmer, a 2009 Belmont graduate, organised the protest, and said “Belmont will say they didn’t fire her. They’ll say she resigned, but it wasn’t mutual and we all know that,” holding a sign that read “Nazis would have fired Coach Howe for the same reasons.” Last Thursday, Athletics Director Mike Strickland released a statement that Lisa Howe informed the school of a decision to resign. However, Friday, another release acknowledged “inaccuracies” in the initial release, and said she was leaving after she and the school had arrived at a “mutual agreement.” Farmer Sunday said “She was fired because she was a lesbian, and that’s a human rights violation. I don’t want to be a part of a university that does that. I want to be part of university that can grow from that. We want the university not just to apologise to the coach, not just to the gay and lesbian community in Nashville and in the United States. We want an international apology to the gay world because this is 2010 and we all find this unacceptable.” Belmont President Robert Fischer would not comment except to say he was aware of the protest, and Strickland could not be reached for comment. Sunday evening, the Belmont University Office of Communications issued a statement that read in part “We have smart and passionate students at Belmont University who really care about their role in making a difference in the world. We support their right to express their opinions.”Among those expressing their opinions was Becca Stone, a member of the school’s Bridge Builders, a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender support group that has repeatedly requested it be recognised as an official school student group (a request that has to date been repeatedly denied) and she said ““It’s kind of two-sided in that it’s really heartbreaking and sad what happened to the soccer coach. But the response has been encouraging because you look around and it’s not just the Bridge Builders people out here. It is other Belmont students, Belmont alums, community members. It’s given us hope that we’re not in it alone.”