Slate reports that many Black athletes are transferring out of Liberty University, citing the college’s accepted atmosphere of racism and the lack of minority students and faculty.

Liberty University has invested tens of millions of dollars in its athletic programs to provide it exposure on the national sports scene and to attract students, both athletes and others.

The highest profile athlete to enter the NCAA transfer portal is Tayvion “Tank” Land, a top recruit as a four-star rated high school safety for the football team.

Land details an incident during a summer math class in which many of his other classmates were football players.  An instructor told a struggling student, who was Black football player, that he would need to see a tutor to improve his performance in class.

“Don’t be scared,” the instructor allegedly told the player. “I’m not going to pull out my whip and hit you with it.”

The comment prompted a number of students to walk out of the class, and it exemplifies a cavalier attitude toward racism and racist remarks that are tolerated on campus, from students, faculty and staff.

Land and his roommate, Kei’Trel “Tre” Clark, who was also in the class, filed to transfer, as did a third Black football player who did not specify a reason.

Asia Todd, who finished her freshman year winning Conference honors as she finished fourth on the women’s basketball team in scoring, cited the culture of the university for her transfer request.  Students are required to attend weekly convocation services, where speakers have included people like Charlie Kirk (who believes “white privilege” is a racist idea) and Donald Trump Jr., who periodically regurgitates racist tropes and conspiracy theories online and in speeches.

Todd said her breaking point was a tweet University President Jerry Falwell Jr. posted saying he would only wear a face mask during the pandemic if “Governor Blackface himself”–a reference to Ralph Northam and an infamous yearbook photo from the 1980s–was on it.

Faculty and staff also resigned over Falwell’s tweet, which Falwell deleted and apologized for two weeks after posting it.  Falwell also announced he would make Martin Luther King Day a school holiday–in 2021.

“[Other Black athletes] want to transfer, but they’re scared to transfer,” Todd told the Slate reporter. “Whether they feel like there’s not another opportunity out there or they feel like there’s not enough film [of them playing to attract the interest of other programs].”