Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Speaks Out After Carlton Davis Used Anti-Asian Slur

Cliff Welch/getty images Carlton Davis

Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht is speaking out after cornerback Carlton Davis used an anti-Asian slur in a tweet over the weekend.

"We have been in communication with Carlton regarding his social media post from Sunday evening," Licht said in a statement Monday. "Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others."

"We look forward to working with Carlton to find appropriate ways to learn from this experience and continue our joint efforts to put an end to all forms of social and racial injustices," he continued.

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The statement also mentioned the fact that Carlton is an "active member" of the team's Social Justice Player Board and "has played a key role in our organizational support for finding peaceful and productive ways to bring attention to societal issues that have plagued our country for many years."

In a since-deleted tweet posted Sunday night, Davis, 24, used a slur referring to the Asian population in Miami.

He later posted an Urban Dictionary definition offensive word that said, "A term commonly [sic] used in South Florida to describe a person who is Lame. Synonym for Lame, wack, Fool or Stupid."

"I would never offend any group of people," the cornerback wrote in a tweet. "The term was directed towards a producer claiming he 'ran Miami.'"

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"With that being said I'll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring," he added.

Davis later followed up with another statement shared on Twitter.

"I used a term that from where I come from has always meant 'lame' but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation," the Buccaneers player said. "I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times."

Davis' comments come at a time when anti-Asian hate crimes in major U.S. cities increased by nearly 150 percent in 2020, despite hate crimes overall dropping by 7 percent.

If you've been attacked or have witnessed an attack, please contact your local authorities. You can also report your incident here. To learn more and to report crimes, go to: Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Stop the AAPI Hate, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, and Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council.