Well, one day I was called into my coach's office for a meeting expecting to discuss something about school or how basketball was going for me. I guess I was wrong because I left out of that office crying my eyes out. In my mind, I never wanted to return to BBU again. I was ready to leave right after that meeting. Let me just say that my head coach was a very strict, Christian man, who had team rules that probably no college student would be able to follow. I understand I was a college athlete and all, but his rules went a little overboard in my opinion. We were expected to wear our socks a certain way, 11pm curfew every night which was checked upon randomly. If you were caught out past curfew, you would have to wake up at 5am and run for an hour. Also, If you missed any class and were caught you would have a 5am. He called it a "dawn patrol".
To get back to what went on in the meeting that day.....I walked in not expecting anything bad and as soon as I walked in I sat down and was in shock when I saw what was up on his computer screen. He had one of his assistant coaches in the room with us who listened to everything that was said. The profile that I had created trying to meet other girls was popped up on his screen and he asked me "what the website was all about"? I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. At first I tried to cover myself up and told him it was a joke. I could tell he didn't believe me. He just kept asking me questions to try and get the truth out. Finally he asked me, “Are you a lesbian Lori?” I paused and replied, “Why does it matter?” The conversation went on but I don't remember everything in detail.
You could probably imagine how upset I was though. I was only 20 yrs. old, and not completely out to everyone. Well that day, the whole athletic dept. supposedly found out. I bet you are wondering how they found the website? Well so was I, because the website was for lesbians looking for lesbians. My head coach, said that the Athletic Director of BBU faxed him telling him that I had to take the website down immediately. Keep in mind that there was nothing bad on the website. No nudity or anything like that; just a picture of me in a dress and a description of me. How did the Athletic Director find it? Well, what happen was, the BBU football players were making these websites with nudity in them that had them and naked girls in them. Somehow, people found out and reported it. Then the Athletic Director had to go on the computers and find out if any other athletes were making bad websites. Now, how is mine considered bad? I don't know. To them it was totally unacceptable. I still to this day don't understand how he found it...but he did.
BBU is a big school (about 17,000), prestigiously known, and poor me had to be pointed out in front of all these people. Coach told me that his #1 fan called him and asked what I was doing on that website too? I even asked him, how would your #1 fan see that? Was he trying to meet a lesbian?? I mean really. He couldn't tell me how...he just said he didn't know. Well whatever, I'm sure more people found out about this than I imagined. Coach acted like no one knew, but I didn't believe him. If the athletic director of the University knew, the whole athletic dept. found out! When they told me that I would have to take my profile off immediately, to me that was like harassment. My coach told me that it was a disgrace to BBU and made BBU look bad. I was so hurt, because I knew that it had nothing to do with BBU...just my own sexual preference.
I actually met my girlfriend from the profile I put up, and we are still together. We’ve been in a long distance relationship for about two months now. After the meeting was over, which lasted about an hour or more, I left crying and took off straight to my girlfriend's house. When I got to her house I explained everything that happened and she said that I should sue them! I knew that I didn't want it to go out to everyone like that, but now I regret not doing something.
