A former Methacton High School star was booted from his college baseball team over an offensive tweet he sent about Little League World Series star Mo’ne Davis.
Bloomsburg University first baseman Joey Casselberry was removed from the team after sending out a tweet calling Davis a “slut” while criticizing news that a Disney Channel movie was being made about the Taney star.
Casselberry’s Twitter account was deactivated Saturday night, but not before screenshots of the tweet made their way across the internet, angering and shocking area sports fans.
“You were way out of line and disrespectful,” Shirley Smith wrote after reading Casselberry’s tweet. “You should really be ashamed of yourself.”
Writer Kimberly Ellis thought Casselberry’s message was “a blatant conscientious attempt to degrade a child, a girl, a black girl.”
Bloomsburg announced the dismissal of the junior first baseman on Twitter, and said it was “deeply saddened” by Casselberry’s tweet, noting “his words do not represent Bloomsburg University.”
Casselberry broke almost every offensive record at Methacton high School, earning All-Southeast Pennsylvania honors. He was a three-year player in the Carpenter Cup at Citizens Bank Park, and led Methacton deep into the District One Class AAAA tournament during his senior year.
Before his Twitter account was deactivated, Casselberry apologized, writing, “An example that one stupid tweet can ruin someone’s life and I couldn’t be more sorry about my actions last night. I please ask you to.”
“Forgive me and truly understand that I am in no way shape or form a sexist and I am a huge fan of Mo’ne. She was quite an inspiration.”
UPDATE: Mo’ne Davis and her coach Alex Rice (who was just named the Inquirer’s “Citizen of the Year“) contacted Bloomsburg University President David L. Soltz to ask the school to reconsider Casselberry’s dismissal.
According to the report, Bloomsburg praised 13-year-old Davis’s maturity over this situation, but for now aren’t planning on reinstating Casselberry, saying, “Right now we’re standing firm.”
(Read more here)
