A University of Wisconsin fan was ejected from a men's basketball game Tuesday in Evanston after making anti-Asian gestures towards Northwestern fans, school officials said.
A TikTok video, which now has over a million views, shows a Badgers fan sitting close to the court, making racist gestures in the direction of the Northwestern student section.
"He was taunting students, flipping them off and, to top it off, did the racist slant-eye Asian gesture and continued pretty much the entire first half of the game," said Deborah Lee, an alumna who took the video from two rows over.
The man was escorted out of the Welsh-Ryan Arena by a Northwestern official and police officer, for which University of Wisconsin officials praised the school.
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"Our events should be a place for everyone to enjoy the excitement of college sports. The University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University and the Big Ten Conference promote good sportsmanship, appropriate fan behavior and a welcoming atmosphere for all fans at all athletic events. Racist behavior at our venues is unacceptable and we will take action promptly to address it," University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank wrote in a statement Thursday.
"We appreciate Northwestern events staff promptly removing the man from the game," Blank continued. "The ticket-holder has been identified by the Northwestern and Wisconsin athletic departments."
The chancellor said the fan is not a current student or employee at Wisconsin. He is no longer allowed at future UW Athletics events and is unable to purchase tickets through the school's platform, Blank added.
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"He did not seem to have any remorse at all," Lee said. "He was doing gestures throughout the first half. I think I personally saw it at least a dozen times. He was proud even as he was leaving to keep making gestures."
