UMBC Announces New Women's Lacrosse Coach After 5 Players Suspended

CATONSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- Controversy sparks big changes at UMBC. The women's lacrosse team has a new head coach. This, after five players are suspended for making threats on social media to harm and even kill their own teammates.

Rick Ritter has more on the changes and reaction from students.

Tony Giro shared head coaching responsibilities. The university says he's now on leave from the school, as the team tries to put this scandal behind them.

What's supposed to be a lock room full of camaraderie and team spirit has been overshadowed by a storm of turmoil. As scandal continues to rock the UMBC women's lacrosse team, the school announces co-head coach of the program, Tony Giro, will take a leave from the school.

Giro shared coaching responsibilities with Amy Slade, who's been appointed the new head coach.

The decision was announced after what started as a private online conversation among players turned to public shame.

Three sophomores, a junior and a senior are now indefinitely suspended.

Five players were suspended from the team after dozens of nasty online comments surfaced in a group chat, bashing their freshman teammates and posting things like, "Can we just kill them?", and, "Kill the freshman."

Students say the posts have been the talk of the campus.

"Mainly uproar. Most people are really upset about it, actually," said Tarik Hawkins, UMBC senior.

Shining a negative light on the university.

"They were a little childish, a lot childish, honestly. We don't want it to represent us," said Omar Koita, UMBC senior.

But whether or not the messages truly meant any potential physical harm:

"They say no. What this was was a group of young women who'd become very frustrated with some of the occurrences within the team dynamic and what they say were privately venting to one another," said Rob Weinhold, crisis communications.

The university says it's in the middle of a full investigation into the incident.

The women's lacrosse team has a home game Saturday at noon.