One of the wilder scenes ever witnessed in a gym.
PublishedFebruary 2, 2026 11:33 AM EST•UpdatedFebruary 2, 2026 11:33 AM EST
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Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor was put in handcuffs and escorted off the court over the weekend, and he’s now hired legal representation after the truly bizarre situation.
National civil rights attorney Harry Daniels announced on Sunday that Taylor had hired him to pursue a possible civil lawsuit. The attorneys say they are currently investigating “all legal avenues,” according to AL.com.
“It would be bad for a police officer to treat anyone like this,” Daniels stated. “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.”
Taylor and a man wearing a police uniform were caught on camera having a brief exchange following Tuskegee’s loss at rival Morehouse College on Saturday. The situation appeared to be completely tame between the two men, that is, until the officer reached for his handcuffs, put them around Taylor’s wrists, and escorted him off the court.
Taylor explained after the incident that he was simply trying to get security to enforce protocol and get the Morehouse football players off the court, who he alleged were trying to make their way into the handshake line.
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today,” Taylor told the Field of 68. “For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”
Taylor was not charged with a crime and was later released in time to make the trip back home with Tuskegee on the team bus.
Tuskegee University issued a statement pledging its full support to Taylor. The statement, published to the university’s website on Sunday, was co-signed by Dr. Mark A. Brown, the school’s President and CEO, as well as Reginald Ruffin, the Tuskegee athletic director.
“Tuskegee University is deeply concerned about the breakdown in established security procedures that contributed to this incident,” the statement read in part. “We remain committed to working closely with the SIAC and all member institutions to ensure that uniform, professional, and clearly communicated security and event‑management standards are implemented and upheld at every conference competition. The dignity, safety, and well‑being of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are non-negotiable institutional priorities.
“Coach Taylor continues to have the full confidence, trust, and support of the Tuskegee University Administration and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. We are proud of his leadership and grateful for his steadfast commitment to our student‑athletes and to the values of Tuskegee University.”
Taylor has been the head coach at Tuskegee since 2019 after first entering the college basketball coaching ranks in 1989 as a graduate assistant at Richmond University.
