Tuskegee University men’s basketball coach briefly handcuffed after game at Morehouse

Benjy Taylor – Photo from Tuskegee University

Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor was briefly handcuffed after intervening in an incident involving his team and members of Morehouse’s basketball and football teams over the weekend.

A statement from civil rights attorney Harry Daniels’ office said Taylor was concerned about Morehouse football players who “were acting aggressively” toward Tuskegee players and their parents during postgame handshakes on Saturday at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

The statement said the football players’ presence is prohibited by conference-mandated security protocols. It said after Taylor asked a second officer to enforce those protocols to diffuse the situation, the officer handcuffed him and escorted him from the court.

Though Taylor was not charged, he has hired Daniels and attorneys Gregory Reynald Williams and Gerald Griggs to represent him. The attorneys say they are considering a civil lawsuit.

Daniels said Taylor was right to try to protect his team, and the officer was out of line.

“It would be bad for a police officer to treat anyone like this,” Daniels said. “But to do it to a man like Coach Taylor, a highly respected professional and role model, to put him in handcuffs, humiliate him and treat him like a criminal in front of his team, his family and a gym full of fans is absolutely disgusting and they need to be held accountable.”

A statement from Tuskegee president Mark Brown and athletic director Reginald Ruffin said the school leaders were proud of Taylor’s commitment to the athletes and the school’s values.

“During the events in question, Coach Taylor acted solely out of his fundamental responsibility to protect his student-athletes and staff — particularly in an environment where agreed-upon and customary game‑management and security protocols were not properly carried out,” the statement said. “His conduct remained measured, professional, and entirely consistent with the expectations of a head coach entrusted with the safety of his team.”

Morehouse did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, the SIAC conference has taken action against Morehouse. It says, “In accordance with SIAC Policy 1.9 (Security), the conference determined that Morehouse College did not satisfy the required security standards for a host institution, specifically as it relates to crowd control and ensuring the safe entry and exit of visiting teams and game participants.

“As a result, the SIAC has imposed a fine on Morehouse College of an undisclosed amount and will require corrective measures to ensure full compliance with conference security policies moving forward.

“The SIAC holds its member institutions to the highest standards of sportsmanship, professionalism, and institutional accountability,” said SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman. “Our historic institutions are expected to provide competitive environments that prioritize the safety, dignity, and mutual respect of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and fans. The conference remains committed to upholding these expectations and to ensuring that all SIAC contests are conducted in a manner consistent with our shared values.”

(Copyright 2026 The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)