Appeals court affirms decision to dismiss Adam Sasser from Georgia Baseball after racial slur aimed at Justin Fields

An appeals court has affirmed the decision to dismiss former Georgia Bulldogs baseball player Adam Sasser from the program due to an incident involving current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit this month affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a former University of Georgia baseball player who contended his right to freedom of speech was violated when he was suspended from the team and from campus,” wrote Wayne Ford of the Athens Banner-Herald.

“UGA player Adam Sasser of Evans, Georgia had originally filed a federal lawsuit against UGA, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, the UGA Athletic Association and related parties after he was removed from the baseball team in fall 2018.”

According to Ford, Sasser was dismissed after students relayed to officials that he aimed a racial slur at Fields during a game between the Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers.

“Sasser, who was a senior and a starting first baseman, was dismissed after students attending a football game between UGA and Tennessee reported to officials that Sasser used a racial slur aimed at quarterback Justin Fields, a Black player on Georgia’s team that year,” wrote Ford.

The decision upheld a previous U.S. Northern District Court decision to dismiss the lawsuit saying, “there was no individual liability or liability on the part of the Board of Regents or the Athletic Association,” per Ford.

In addition to being dismissed from the baseball team, Sasser was suspended from classes in the Fall of 2018, and is also suspended from attending Georgia home events, and banned from campus.

Meanwhile, Fields has continued to thrive in the meantime, taking his game to a new level after transferring out of Athens and now leading an NFL franchise.

Justin Fields was considered one of the best quarterbacks in all of the country after he took his talents to Ohio State following his time at Georgia. With the Buckeyes, he passed for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns, while rushing for 867 yards and 15 touchdowns, as well. He took the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff twice, although he never delivered them a title.

After an impressive collegiate career, Fields was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and has since been anointed as the future of the Chicago Bears. The franchise even opted to stick with Fields over draft a new quarterback this offseason, as the team possessed the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft before trading it to the Carolina Panthers.