The B.C. women’s college basketball championship is being relocated from a school whose coach and players allegedly mistreated a transgender opponent.
A spokesman for the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) said Tuesday that Columbia Bible College will no longer host the championships from Feb. 27 to March 1 as scheduled, with a new venue yet to be determined.
Columbia Bible College, an evangelical Mennonite bible college in Abbotsford, B.C., did not respond to a request for comment.
The move comes after Vancouver Island University forward Harriette Mackenzie spoke in October about verbal and physical mistreatment she endured when her team hosted Columbia Bible College for a pair of games in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mackenzie, who is transgender, said the visiting team's coach, Taylor Claggett, went on a "tirade" after losing on Oct. 25, yelling at a Mariners staff member about how Mackenzie shouldn't be allowed to play against women. A social media account linked to Claggett also posted anti-trans messages after the game.
The two sides played again on Oct. 26 and Mackenzie claimed her opponents physically targeted her. She shared a video from the game where, away from the ball, a Columbia player tosses Mackenzie to the ground.
Columbia Bible College later said in a statement that Claggett was "speaking out for the safety of her players like any good coach would do."
"We stand in support of Taylor Claggett, and all our coaches, in expressing their legitimate concerns for the safety of our student-athletes," the statement said.
Mackenzie filed a complaint with PACWEST about the treatment she received over the two games.
In January, all 13 players on the Mariners women's basketball team signed a letter saying they would not play two games at Columbia Bible College as scheduled because the issue had not been addressed.
"All of us should be free to be ourselves and play the game we love in a supportive and safe environment — including queer and trans athletes," read the letter.
The two games were postponed, but replacement dates are not listed on PACWEST's website.
The athletic body said in a statement that an investigation into "an incident involving two of our member institutions" had concluded, and a decision had been "communicated to the relevant parties."
The statement added, "the matter is now closed."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025.
The Canadian Press
