BYU students, faculty, and fans were shocked this past weekend when a Duke volleyball player was repeatedly harassed and called a racial slur during a BYU women’s volleyball game. As one of the most diverse campuses in the state, where students have been heard saying things like, “I know a black person” and “I love Will Smith,” these actions seemed incongruent with BYU’s reputation.

BYU has been criticized in the media for failing to respond to the harassment in a timely manner. No action was taken during the match to stop the behavior despite multiple reports to BYU officials, but rest assured, the fan was told “stop that” and was banned from future athletic events after the event. BYU released a statement Saturday explaining the delay in action.

“It’s really really tricky, being a church school,” begins the statement. “There are a lot of people that need to give their approval before any action can be taken. Trust us, we were running possible actions through the chains of authority as fast as we could.  We need to verify that any actions taken are in line with that image before we do anything, even preventing ongoing harassment and racism.”

The statement went on to say that in apology, Rachel Richardson, the Duke volleyball player, will be given a coupon for a free Cougar Tail the next time she’s in Provo. If this story continues to get more media attention, BYU might even throw in a free chocolate milk.