Syracuse University will take “swift action” in responding to the racist and homophobic comments made by SU women’s soccer player Hanna Strong in a video, said Senior Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz in a statement on Saturday.

The video shows Strong calling an unidentified person a “n*gger-a** f*gg*t”, before saying “call me out on saying the N word, I don’t give a sh*t.”

Kantrowitz said she and Chancellor Kent Syverud are aware of Strong’s comments and do not condone it.

“We both strongly believe that intolerance of any kind, including that based on race and sexual orientation, is offensive and unacceptable,” she said in the statement.

The SU Department of Public Safety and the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services are currently investigating the incident. The results of the investigation will be immediately reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Kantrowitz said.

Kantrowitz also said the incident is an opportunity to evaluate the “state of our community” and make SU “stronger and better.”

“Each of us must play a role in ensuring that our campus is a place of respect and understanding,” she said. “We are committed to open and respectful dialogue in the coming days about divides and differences, and equally important, what binds us together as members of the Syracuse University community.”

Strong, a senior midfielder for Syracuse, has been suspended indefinitely from the team by head coach Phil Wheddon. She had played in the first four games of this season.

Published on September 6, 2014 at 7:11 pm

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta