University of Cincinnati will remove Marge Schott's name from baseball stadium

The University of Cincinnati announced it will be removing Marge Schott's name from its baseball stadium due to the "record of racism and bigotry" from the former Cincinnati Reds owner.

The university's board of trustees unanimously voted to remove Schott's name, with the decision being made effective immediately.

"Marge Schott's record of racism and bigotry stands at stark odds with our University's core commitment to dignity, equity and inclusion," University president Neville Pinto said Tuesday in a prepared statement. "My recommendation to the board to remove her name is grounded in the firm belief that speaking out against exclusion is as essential as speaking up for inclusion. I hope this action serves as an enduring reminder that we cannot remain silent or indifferent when it comes to prejudice, hate or inequity. More than ever, our world needs us to convert our values into real and lasting action."

Schott died in 2004 and two years later her charitable foundation made a $2 million donation to the University of Cincinnati athletic department, which led the school to name its baseball stadium after her. Before selling her controlling interest of the Reds in 1999, Schott was repeatedly suspended and fined by Major League Baseball for her anti-Semitic and racist remarks, including once when she claimed Hitler "was good at the beginning, but he just went too far."

Former Bearcats player Jordan Ramey started a petition calling for the university to stop associating with Schott, which received support from several former students and athletes, including former big-leaguer Kevin Youkilis.

"We have a responsibility to develop our kids for the future," Ramey wrote in the petition. "Black kids should not be made to play and represent a name such as hers and white kids should not be celebrating her legacy subconsciously."