Soccer players at Washington state college suspended for black face photo

Five members of the women's soccer team at a Christian college in Washington state were suspended for one match for donning racist black face and Afro wigs in a photo posted online, the university said.

In the picture, the five women from Whitworth University in Spokane were shown wearing costumes and identifying themselves as members of late pop icon Michael Jackson's group.

The caption of the image, which appeared on social media website Instagram and also was shared on Facebook, read: "Oh baby, give me one more chance. #Jackson5 #thisiswhitworthsoccer."

The university said in a statement on Wednesday that the five players were suspended for the team's match that day.

"In light of the impact that these actions have had on Whitworth and the greater Spokane community, we feel it is in the best interest of all involved to take this action at this time," head coach Jael Hagerott said in the statement.

"While their intentions were not malicious, the outcome of their actions was painful for many in our community. We feel that this punitive response is proportional to their actions."

No further punitive action was planned, the school said.

"As a Christ-centered university that believes in the value of all individuals, we are seeking to use this situation as an opportunity to educate, redeem and restore," said Whitworth Director of Athletics Tim Demant.