Boulder – Two white University of Colorado athletes are accused of sending a threatening and profanity- laced e-mail to another student athlete, the latest in a string of racially charged incidents that has raised concerns about tolerance on campus.
Clint O’Neal, a senior lineman on the CU football team, and Jacqueline “Jackie” Zeigle, a member of the track team, were given citations Monday on harassment and ethnic intimidation.
Police say the pair sent the e-mail Saturday to Greg Castro – who is of Mexican heritage – on CU’s electronic “Facebook” system. In the message, Castro, a member of the cross-country team, is called a “river rat,” “boarder hopper” and a four-letter ethnic slur.
“I will come find you and drag you behind my (expletive) car, you piece of (expletive),” the e-mail states. “Or better yet, I will come find you tonite and introduce you to the (expletive) devil.”
Castro said Thursday that he feared for his safety when he received the e-mail, but that he was more insulted than anything.
“I was pretty much speechless when I first read it. I am very much in touch with that part of my heritage,” he said.
Another message also was sent to Stephen Pifer – a member of the cross-country team who is mixed race – from O’Neal’s account, police said. The message states, “I am teammates with some of the lowest, like you.”
O’Neal and Zeigle, who are dating, told police this week that Zeigle used O’Neal’s campus e-mail account to send the message to Castro. O’Neal – in Houston for the Big 12 championship – talked to Zeigle on the phone as they crafted the e-mail together, police said.
Zeigle said Thursday that the e-mail was the result of a dispute over a breakup. She told police that Castro pushed her sister at a party last weekend. Her sister recently ended a relationship with Castro’s friend Pifer, Zeigle said.
“It’s all just silly high-school drama,” Zeigle said. “The kid, Greg, took it to the police officer just to get us in trouble. He wasn’t scared for his life. … Yeah, there was racism in it, but it wasn’t like things he has probably (never) heard. We didn’t really even know if he was Mexican.”
Reached by e-mail, O’Neal said things were taken out of context.
“If we were not athletes, this cenerio wouldn’t even make the papers,” he wrote. “This story is dumb, and everyone needs to drop it.”
CU and Boulder have been stung by several racial incidents since last spring, including cases of graffiti, complaints that black students were spit on and violence. Last month, a student leader received a threatening e-mail full of racial slurs. In response, students rallied to call attention to racial problems on campus.
Assistant athletic director Dave Plati said the department is investigating the e-mail involving Zeigle and O’Neal and will decide how to proceed.
“It was nothing short of despicable. … At the appropriate time, which should be fairly swift, we will publicly announce the decision,” he said.
Castro and Pifer met with CU and athletic department officials Thursday night.
Zeigle said the e-mail has given people the wrong impression.
“I am not a racist person. My aunt is Hispanic. I have Hispanic cousins. People are going to be looking at Clint and I like we are racist people. … (Greg’s) not hurt by what I said.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
