Willamette University has issued a statement regarding the coming out of one of its football players, Conner Mertens. Mertens came out to his coaches and team over the last week and today came out publicly on Outsports. The school is 100% supportive:
Willamette University fully supports Conner Mertens and respects his contribution to a more humane and just world.
Willamette University is, at its core, a community of people dedicated to learning. Our motto, "Not unto ourselves alone are we born," is our guiding principle. It tells us that we have a responsibility for each other.
Willamette's inclusive campus community inspires students to find and pursue their passions. By transforming knowledge into action, we learn about ourselves.
Our student-athletes work hard to succeed in competition and in the classroom, but they don't stop there. Willamette students apply what they've learned to their lives, their careers and their communities. This is the essence of our motto and what it means to be a Bearcat.
