LA Times columnist apologizes for piece characterizing LSU players as ‘dirty debutantes’

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Los Angeles Times columnist Ben Bolch apologized Monday for last week’s column that characterized the Sweet 16 game between UCLA and LSU in the women’s NCAA Tournament as a battle of good versus evil.

Bolch took to social media Monday to “own up to my mistake.”

LSU coach Kim Mulkey criticized the column on Saturday as sexist and hurtful to her players. In the piece, first published Friday, Bolch referred to LSU’s players as “villains” and “dirty debutantes.”

The Times removed those references late Saturday as well as one comparing UCLA’s team to “milk and cookies” and republished the column with a note that said: “A previous version of this commentary did not meet Times editorial standards. It has been updated.”

“Words matter,” Bolch said in his apology. “As a journalist, no one should know this more than me. Yet I have failed miserably in my choice of words.”

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness