Columbia University says it has stopped its wrestling team from competing while it investigates text messages sent by several of its team members.

Columbia released a statement on Monday saying it promptly initiated an investigation once it learned of the messages it described as "appalling" and "at odds with the core values of the university."

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Screengrabs of the purported messages in a group chat were first published on Bwog, an independent student-run blog. Many of the texts included lewd, homophobic and racially insensitive language.

The university did not say how long the investigation would last.

Earlier this month, Harvard University suspended its men's soccer team for the rest of the season over sexual comments made about members of the women's soccer team.