Tuskegee Coach Handcuffed After Game at Morehouse

Benjy Taylor, the men's basketball coach at Tuskegee University, was handcuffed and led off the court at Morehouse College's Forbes Arena on Saturday night after his team's 77-69 loss. The incident happened during the postgame handshake line when Taylor spoke to a security officer about Morehouse football players joining the line behind the basketball teams. Taylor saw this as a safety risk due to yelling and tension between the groups. No charges were filed against him, and he returned home with his team on the bus.

Background

Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, both historic Black colleges, share a long-standing rivalry in sports. Their basketball teams play in Division II of the NCAA, part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Saturday's game was at Morehouse's home court in Atlanta. Tuskegee's Golden Tigers entered with a strong 15-4 record overall and 14-2 in conference play. They had won nine straight home games this season but struggled on the road against Morehouse's Maroon Tigers.

Taylor, 58 years old, is in his sixth season leading Tuskegee. He has built the program into a contender, with the team sitting at 15-5 after the loss. The game itself was close, with Morehouse pulling ahead in the final minutes. Fans from both schools filled the arena, adding to the charged atmosphere typical of HBCU matchups.

Postgame routines at these games include handshakes between players and coaches to show respect. But this time, things took a turn. Videos from the scene captured the moment as players from both basketball teams lined up. Morehouse football players followed close behind, some shouting words at Tuskegee's side. Taylor stepped in to address the situation with a security officer on the court.

Key Details

The handshake line formed right after the final buzzer. Tuskegee players and Morehouse basketball players shook hands without issue at first. Then, a group of Morehouse football players moved into the line. Witnesses said they were loud, yelling obscenities toward Tuskegee's players, families, and fans. Taylor, walking with his team, turned to the nearest security officer and asked him to clear the football players out.

The Confrontation

Video shows Taylor pointing toward the football players and speaking to the officer. Accounts differ on the tone. Taylor and Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin say Taylor stayed calm and polite. Ruffin was nearby and heard Taylor say, "Can you please remove them from the line?" The officer gave a different view later, calling Taylor aggressive. After a short back-and-forth, the officer pulled out handcuffs, placed them on Taylor, and walked him off the court into a hallway.

Taylor was taken through twisting corridors to a room marked "Weightroom." Additional footage shows two officers with him there. He was held briefly before release. No arrest record exists, and the officer's agency remains unclear as of Monday. Tuskegee officials confirm Taylor boarded the team bus without delay and made the trip back to Alabama.

"I am at a loss for words, and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today," Taylor said in a statement Saturday. "For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation."

Ruffin backed his coach fully. He pointed to conference rules on security at games, especially rivalries like this one. Mixing football players into a basketball handshake, he said, breaks those protocols and risks fights.

"You got to intermingle football players shaking hands with the team," Ruffin said. "You don’t do that…that’s a security breach."

Taylor's legal team, including civil rights lawyer Harry Daniels, Gregory Reynald Williams, and Gerald Griggs, stepped in Sunday. They call the football players' actions aggressive and are looking at a possible lawsuit against Morehouse or the security involved.

What This Means

The incident spotlights safety at HBCU games, where passion runs high and crowds get rowdy. Conferences like the SIAC have strict rules on postgame lines to prevent clashes. Taylor's case raises questions about how security handles coaches raising concerns. Was his request reasonable, or did it cross a line? Differing stories from Taylor's side and the officer leave room for debate.

For Tuskegee, the focus shifts back to basketball. The Golden Tigers still lead their conference standings despite the loss. Taylor plans to coach upcoming games as usual. His record shows steady improvement, with playoff hopes alive. The team practiced Monday, showing no disruption.

Morehouse faces no formal complaints yet, but Daniels' team is digging into details. They reviewed videos and spoke to witnesses. If a suit moves forward, it could examine training for campus security and response to rival tensions. Both schools emphasize sportsmanship, but events like this test those ideals.

Taylor spoke little Sunday, saying he felt devastated but would stay quiet for now. His players saw the whole thing, which adds emotional weight. Supporters rallied online, sharing clips and calling for clarity. As investigations continue, the story shows the fine line between protecting teams and maintaining order at college games.

This event comes amid a busy stretch for HBCU basketball. Teams push for conference titles and national bids. For coaches like Taylor, managing off-court issues is part of the job. His quick release and return to duties suggest the matter may fade, but legal steps keep it alive. Schools on both sides watch closely, knowing rivalries demand extra care.