On Tuesday, College of Charleston men's basketball coach Doug Wojcik was fired by school president Glenn McConnell. On Wednesday, Wojcik's former players released an official statement in which they offer their forgiveness to the embattled Wojcik.
"We completely and wholeheartedly concur with the findings of the investigation and the actions that president [Glenn] McConnell has taken in this matter," the team statement reads. "We forgive Coach Wojcik and hope that he and his family can move forward in a positive manner from here.
"We are looking forward to putting this behind us and getting back to what we are here to do in the first place -- get an excellent college education and reach our full potential as athletes and as a team on the basketball court." (Source: Live5news.com)
Wojcik was relieved from his duties after a school investigation revealed that he likely used abusive, homophobic, and derogatory language directed at his players. Wojcik refused to resign from his post, but McConnell, who took over as president of the College of Charleston on July 1, decided to fire him due to just cause.
Wojcik refutes many of the claims made against him. His attorney, Scott Tompsett, has officially called the claims "materially false" and said the situation is not over.
However, the players remain true to their statements and have not waivered in what they feel is the truth.
"There have been many half-truths and misinformation that have surfaced during the investigation. We know, and our coaches know, what really happened over the last two seasons, and we as players did our best to report that information truthfully and accurately to the appropriate people," the players' statement reads.
No matter what happens legally between Wojcik and the school, the basketball team is ready to put the experience behind them and move forward with the 2014-15 season. The players' statement expresses the sentiment that despite their recent hardship, they have grown closer as a team.
"We would like to thank our families, our fans, members of the Cougar Club and the administration at the College of Charleston for their unwavering support during this horrendous situation," the statement reads.