The University of Denver announced Wednesday that it has suspended 38 student athletes for attending an off-campus party.
University officials said that members of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams knowingly violated state, local and university health policies by attending the party, ABC reported. The student athletes are suspended for the remainder of the fall quarter and must be tested for COVID-19.
“We will continue to swiftly pursue disciplinary action if members of our community disregard the protocols and public health orders designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Jeremy Haefner, chancellor of Denver University, said in a statement.
“We can’t have anyone in our community believe they don’t need to abide by DU’s, the city’s or the state’s COVID-19 restrictions while the rest of the community is working so hard to have protocols in place intended to keep everyone safe and healthy,” Haefner said.
The University of Denver has suspended 38 men’s and women’s swimming and diving athletes for attending a large off-campus party, violating restrictions. https://t.co/tWiBFpxziG
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) October 1, 2020
Haefner said that no more than 10 people at time can gather until the threat of the virus ends, ABC added.
Colleges and their surrounding communities have acted in a variety of ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 with some schools offering a blend of online and in-person classes. Boulder County, Colorado, which is home to the University of Colorado, took it a step further when it released an order Sept. 24 banning all gatherings of young adults between the ages of 18-24 for two weeks regardless of whether they attended the university. Violators are subject to possible jail time and up to a $5,000 fine. (RELATED: Boulder Bans Young Adult Gatherings For Two Weeks)
The order was amended Sept. 28 to allow gatherings of two people.
There have been 70,536 COVID-19 cases and 1,960 deaths, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.