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The Ivy League university said an investigation that began
when it discovered a 2012 online "scouting report," in which
male players ranked female players by attractiveness and
suspected sexual preferences, determined that the practice had
continued into this year.
"The decision to cancel a season is serious and consequential,
and reflects Harvard's view that both the team's behavior and
the failure to be forthcoming when initially questioned are
completely unacceptable, have no place at Harvard, and run
counter to the mutual respect that is a core value of our
community," Drew Faust, the university's president, said in a
statement.
The decision comes as universities across the United States
struggle to fight sex assaults and sexism on campus. Some
reports estimate that as many as one in five female students
will be subjected to unwanted sexual contact during their
college years.
It follows a decision earlier this year to try to crack down on
the so-called "final clubs" and other single-sex organizations
on campus, which university officials said can serve a
discriminatory function.
The Harvard Crimson student newspaper first reported last week
that it had unearthed a 2012 ranking of female Harvard soccer
players compiled by members of the men's team.
The decision brings to a sudden halt the season of a team that
had a record of 10 wins, three losses and two ties, and was
likely to win a championship berth if it won a scheduled
Saturday game against Columbia University.
"The team will forfeit its remaining games and will decline any
opportunity to achieve an Ivy League championship or to
participate in the NCAA Tournament this year," said Robert
Scalise, the school's athletic director, in a letter to
students. "This immediate and significant action is absolutely
necessary if we are to create an environment of mutual support,
respect, and trust among our students and our teams."
Concerns over sexual assault are high throughout the United
States, extending all the way to the race for the White House,
which pits Democrat Hillary Clinton, who would be the nation's
first female president, against Republican Donald Trump, who has
faced accusations of sex assault.
Trump has repeatedly denied accusations from more than 10 women
who said he had grabbed them without their permission.
(Reporting by Scott Malone; Additional reporting by Gina
Cherelus in New York)
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