University of Tennessee at Chattanooga assistant football coach Chris Malone has been fired after a photo of his since-deleted tweet regarding former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams went viral on Wednesday (January 6.)
UTC athletic director/vice chancellor Mark Wharton and head football coach Rusty Wright released a joint statement regarding Malone's termination on Thursday (January 7) morning via Chattanooga football's Twitter account.
"Last night, a totally inappropriate social media post by a member of our football staff was brought to my attention," Wharton said. "The entire post was appalling. The sentiments in that post do not represent the values of our football program, our athletics department or our university. With that said, effectively immediately, that individual is no longer a part of the program."
"Our program has a clear set of standards. Those standards include respecting others," Wright added. "It is a message our players hear daily. It is a standard I will not waiver on. What was posted on social media by a member of my staff is unacceptable and not any part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for. Life is bigger than football and as leaders of young men, we have to set that example, first and foremost. With that said, effectively immediately, that individual is no longer a part of my staff."
UTC chancellor Steven Angle also announced Malone's termination in a video shared on UT Chattanooga's official Twitter account.
"That tweet was hurtful, hateful and untrue," Angle said. "Coach Malone is no longer a part of this university. "University faculty and staff are expected to lead in a way that achieves and maintains a respectful and tolerant civil campus environment. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga does not tolerate and unequivocally condemns discrimination and hatred in all forms.
Several Twitter accounts shared a screen grab of Malone's tweet, which was posted on January 5 amid Georgia's Senate runoff election results. In the tweet, the former assistant coach refers to the Democratic politician as "Fat Albert" and "Big Girl," while also falsely accuses her of "cheating in an election."
Abrams' fight for voter's rights and fundraising in the state of Georgia following her gubernatorial run was credited by many for a major turnout in the Peach State and successful campaigns by President-elect Joe Biden, as well as Senators-elect Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, all of whom won the historically Conservative state on Democratic tickets.
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