Coach Given Suspension for Using Slur

Central Michigan’s basketball coach was suspended without pay for using a racially derogatory term in front of his players.

Keith Dambrot began serving the four-day suspension Thursday, university spokeswoman Rae Goldsmith said Friday.

Dambrot allegedly used racial slurs in front of his team late in the season in reference to assistant coach Derrick McDowell, who is black.

In a statement released Wednesday, Dambrot said the term was “not used in any racially offensive manner. Our team understood the connotation of the word as I used it and were not offended by it.”

Dambrot also was reprimanded in a letter that indicates he will be fired if racial slurs are made in the future, Goldsmith said.

Dambrot also must submit a letter of apology to the student newspaper and apologize to his assistant coaches and players, Goldsmith said. School officials were bringing in an outside facilitator for a team sensitivity training session, he said.

University President Leonard Plachta apologized to students and faculty for Dambrot’s use of the racial slur.