“We were on the phone with Major League Baseball last night, immediately after addressing the issue with Jarren,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said.
The fallout from Jarren Duran’s anti-gay comments continues, as the Boston Red Sox outfielder has been suspended for his actions.
On Monday, Aug. 12, the Red Sox announced that Duran, 27, would be suspended for two games without pay, a decision which was also in conjunction with the MLB and will require Duran to enter into sensitivity training program, according to MLB.com.
Speaking about the decision to suspend Duran, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said, “We were on the phone with Major League Baseball last night, immediately after addressing the issue with Jarren, so they were very heavily involved in the discussion and the outcome of the suspension.”
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The MLB also stated that in addition to his two-game suspension, Duran’s salary from the missed games will be donated to Greater Boston PFLAG.
Following his previous apology on Sunday, Aug. 11, Duran spoke directly to the media regarding his words on Monday afternoon. “I just wanted to kind of say that I’ve had some fans reach out to me and tell me that they’re disappointed in me and I just wanted to let them know that I’m sorry for my actions and I’m gonna work on being better for them,” the player said.
After losing to the Houston Astros during the game on Sunday, Aug. 11, Duran, 27, used an anti-gay slur when interacting with a fan, according to Bleacher Report.
In a statement following the incident, Duran said, “During tonight’s game I used a truly horrific word when responding to a fan. I feel awful knowing how many people I offended and disappointed. I apologize to the entire Red Sox organization, but more importantly to the LGBTQ community.”
He continued by noting, “Our young fans are supposed to be able to look up to me as a role model, but tonight I fell far short of that responsibility. I will use this opportunity to educate myself and my teammates and to grow as a person.”
Following Duran’s comments, the Red Sox also released a statement detailing the inclusivity of the Red Sox organization and confirming that team officials “addressed this incident with Jarren immediately following today’s game,” MLB.com shared.
“We strive to be an organization that welcomes all fans to Fenway Park, and we will continue to educate our employees, players, coaches and staff on the importance of inclusivity,” the team said.
