Hoops Coach Suspended After Player Arrest

((HT: KSTP-TV))

And the Hamline University team has been ordered by its administration to forfeit an upcoming game with Gustavus Adolphus after an assault and arrest of one of their players.

Forward Edward Lawrence was charged with assault of a female while the team was on a roadtrip to Washington state- hard enough that he broke the accusor's jaw. The second-degree assault on Lawrence is a class B felony in Washington State- punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Hamline's administration is considering some kind of discipline of up to 14 players on the men's basketball roster. Lawrence was subsequently dismissed from the team and suspended from the university.

The statement released from the university:

After a thorough external investigation and internal review of the matter, including interviews with the players traveling with the team, we have disciplined a number of the players on our men’s basketball team. One of our players is accused of seriously injuring a young woman on New Year’s Eve while the team was in Spokane, Washington for a tournament. Eugene Lawrence has been released to the custody of his parents in his home state. He was dismissed from the basketball program and suspended from the university pending a formal hearing. Fourteen students face disciplinary procedures for student handbook violations and team suspensions of varying lengths of time for violating standards set forth in Hamline’s athletic code of conduct. The team’s head coach is suspended indefinitely. As a consequence, Saturday's scheduled men’s basketball game will be forfeited.

This is an extraordinarily serious incident and we are treating it as such. We hold our players to the highest standards as students, athletes, and citizens. Behavior contrary to the principles set forth in our codes of conduct will not be tolerated.


Head coach Nelson Whitmore has been suspended indefinitely, and Hamline has announced the implementation of a so-called "green dot" program in the athletics program as a way to educate its athletes about violence against others- especially women.

Here's the first part of coverage from the Twin Cities...


For those of you interested, here's where you can find a copy of the complaint against Lawrence (thanks again, KSTP-TV)