Gay Missouri Lacrosse Coach Let Go

I remember lacrosse players in high school and college as male, white, affluent, and extremely homophobic (your experience may differ of course). Missouri is a state where it is aok to be fired for being gay. If legal protections for LGBT people existed there (via state laws or ENDA), employers would be less likely to pull nonsense like this. A University of Missouri lacrosse couch has been fired after coming out of the closet:

(Columbia, Missouri) The openly gay coach of the Missouri men's lacrosse team was told his contract will not be renewed after nine seasons but team leaders say Kyle Hawkins was dismissed because of his job performance, not his sexual orientation.

Hawkins recently completed his first season as head coach after publicly disclosing his homosexuality. (story) The team finished with a 6-9 record, Hawkins' first losing season at the school. ...

Hawkins said he learned of the decision May 4 in a meeting with team leaders, an assistant coach, faculty advisers and a university official. Hawkins said the group offered eight reasons not to renew his annual contract, which expires May 31.

Among the concerns: dissatisfaction with his practice regimen and the coach's negative reputation outside the school.

"Those are laughable," Hawkins said. "A week and a half before the meeting, they had sat in front of the ESPN cameras and said what a great coach I was."

"Those are laughable," Hawkins said. "A week and a half before the meeting, they had sat in front of the ESPN cameras and said what a great coach I was."