The Digton-Rehoboth Area School Board approved a policy that will bar student athletes from competing against teams with players of the opposite sex. (Stock Photo)
Still reeling from last year's high-profile field hockey shooting in which a male player severely injured a female player, the local school district recently passed a policy allowing players to miss games without any punishment.
The Dighton-Rehoboth Area School Board has approved a policy that will bar student-athletes from competing against teams with players of the opposite sex.
Additionally, coaches will not be penalized if they forfeit a match against such a team.
The new “interscholastic athletics” policy was recently passed following an infamous field hockey injury last fall, when a Swampscott High School boy's bullet struck a Dighton-Rehoboth High School player in the face, sending him to the hospital with severe facial and dental injuries, according to authorities.
The “traumatic” incident erupted in screams and tears across the field hockey pitch. The shot of the male player went viral and sparked calls for gender-based rule changes in high school sports, particularly girls' field hockey.
In response to the incident, the Dighton-Rehoboth School Board decided not to discipline female athletes who did not want to compete against boys, and vice versa.
“A student-athlete on a single-sex team shall not be disciplined in any manner by the school district for refusing to play in a game or portion thereof because of the presence of players of the opposite sex on the opposing team,” the policy states. “For purposes of this provision, 'punishment' shall include, but not be limited to, loss of playing time or loss of eligibility to be a starter.”
“Coaches of single-sex teams will not be disciplined by the school district if they forfeit a game against an opposing team because the team includes players of the opposite sex,” the policy states.
In Massachusetts, boys can play on girls' teams if their school doesn't offer a boys' sport.
“We appreciate the Digton-Rehoboth School District's common sense policy update, which gives coaches and players options when playing against opposing teams that include players of the opposite sex,” the Massachusetts Family Institute wrote on its website.
“We hope other school districts in Massachusetts will be inspired by Dighton-Rehoboth School District and implement similar policies,” the institute added.
The MIAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday about the new policy. After last year's incident, the MIAA said its athletic association and member schools must comply with all federal and state gender equality laws.
“We respect and understand the complexities and concerns regarding student safety,” the MIAA said at the time, “However, student safety is not a valid defense for excluding students of one gender from participating on teams with the opposite gender. This argument generally fails because there is no correlation between injuries and mixed-gender teams.”
