Georgia Tech said it is disciplining a student athlete from Alpharetta after a video of him cursing at two women in the drive-thru of a northwest Atlanta restaurant surfaced online.
The 66-second video shows Tech baseball player Charlie Benson berating the women and slinging politically charged insults at them after an alleged fender bender.
The women tagged the Georgia Tech baseball program in a Facebook post, saying they were “still shaking” after the incident.
According to the post, the women were in the drive-thru line at the Cookout on Northside Drive on Sept. 19, when another car bumped them from behind. One of the women got out of the car to get the driver’s information and “he immediately started yelling at us,” they said.
A passenger, identified as Benson, then got out of the car.
During the recorded confrontation, Benson denied hitting the women’s car. In the video, he can be heard repeatedly demanding the women point to where the cars touched.
“Where did it hit? Point to where it hit!” Benson said. “Get the (expletive) out of my face! Where’s the mark?”
When one of the women told him she “felt it,” Benson said, “That’s what all the (expletive) liberal (expletive) (expletive) say.”
Benson ultimately got back in the car and left.
Content warning: The following video includes explicit language.
his name is Charlie Benson and he is a GA Tech athlete. #cookoutcharlie This literally just happened. We are still...
Posted by Aline Hernandez on Sunday, September 20, 2020
Benson on Wednesday apologized for the incident in a post on the Georgia Tech baseball team’s Facebook page.
“My immediate reaction to the situation was unacceptable and I am deeply sorry for the impact to those involved – there is simply no excuse,” the post said.
“This situation called for patience and my response in the moment did not reflect the standards to which I hold myself. Nor was my conduct representative of the values promoted by the coaches and other leaders at Georgia Tech. As a member of the Georgia Tech community, I understand that my actions should always uphold those values and I will strive to do so moving forward.”
From So. student-athlete Charlie Benson: To Ms. Aline Hernandez, Ms. Alx Espinosa Parker, and the Georgia Tech...
Posted by Georgia Tech Baseball on Wednesday, September 23, 2020
In a statement, Georgia Tech said it is “continuing to review” the situation, Channel 2 reported.
“The language used does not reflect the values of Georgia Tech athletics. Discipline for the student-athletes involved is being handled internally," the statement said.
The school released no other details.
According to the website for Tech’s baseball team, Benson is a sophomore who appeared in 20 games as a pinch hitter or utility backup infielder in 2019.
