Report: UNC's Hatchell made insensitive remarks, forced injured players to play

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Allegations swirling around suspended UNC-Chapel Hill women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell are intensifying with new reporting from the Washington Post.

As ABC11 reported Monday, Hatchell and her assistant coaches are on paid leave while the university investigates allegations from players.

ABC11 sources say parents of players met with university officials last week claiming Hatchell made racially insensitive remarks and pushed players to take the court when injured.

Sources also told us four players are trying to transfer to other schools.

Now, the Washington Post is reporting that Hatchell told players they would be "hanged from trees with nooses" at an upcoming game if their performance didn't improve.

The Post said it spoke with six parents on the condition of anonymity.

Hatchell's Raleigh attorney, Wade Smith, provided the Post with a different version and said the comments attributed to her are incorrect and misconstrued.

Smith said the 67-year-old Hatchell told the players 'They're going to take a rope and string us up, and hang us out to dry.'

Smith also said, "there's not a racist bone in her body" and she never would have tried to convince anyone to play whom the medical staff had not cleared.