Tuskegee University men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor has retained civil rights attorneys after being handcuffed and escorted off the court following Saturday’s 77–69 loss at Morehouse College.
The incident occurred after the game when a brief exchange between Taylor and a campus police officer escalated. Taylor was handcuffed on the court as the two teams were shaking hands.
Taylor’s legal team says the coach turned to security to help enforce conference security guidelines after several Morehouse football players entered the court area and became entangled in the postgame basketball handshake line, creating what they described as a dangerous environment.
One of his attorneys, Harry Daniels, condemned the officer’s actions in a statement shared with The Athletic on Monday.
“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.”
Taylor, in a statement to @TheFieldOf68, said he was “at a loss for words, and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me.”
Taylor said he was trying to ensure everyone was safe during the postgame handshake line.
“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,” he said.
Video circulating on social media shows Taylor standing on the floor moments before the officer placed handcuffs on the coach. Taylor and the officer exchange words, with Taylor making several pointing gestures. The two continue to exchange words, and as Taylor turns, the officer grabs hold of his right arm and begins to place handcuffs on the Tuskegee coach.
Tuskegee head coach Benjy Taylor was handcuffed by police after the loss at Morehouse.
Here’s his statement to @TheFieldOf68:
“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that… pic.twitter.com/2AQRNCu1Dd
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 1, 2026
Taylor was released shortly after the incident and traveled with this team, per HBCU Gameday.
The communications team for Taylor’s attorneys told The Athletic on Monday that the handcuffing appeared to be carried out by a campus police officer, the personnel responsible for providing security at these events. The Athletic reached out to both the Morehouse College Police Department and the school for comment, but neither had responded by the time of publication.
Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin told HBCU Gameday that the officer involved in the incident offered a different perspective, describing Taylor as “very aggressive.” Ruffin disagreed, pointing out that Taylor’s actions were consistent with conference security protocols and that his request was reasonable under the circumstances. “He asked the security officer, ‘Can you please remove them from the line?’ That’s what he asked the security officer,” Ruffin emphasized to HBCU.
Taylor, who has spent 35 years coaching basketball, has led Tuskegee’s program since 2019. His legal team says it is exploring the possibility of filing a civil lawsuit.