A Massachusetts high school is refusing to play another school's girls field hockey team because the team has biological male players on its roster.
The Digton-Rehoboth Area School District announced to media members on Tuesday that it would forfeit its girls field hockey game against Somerset-Berkeley Area High School.
The decision to withdraw, which came after coaches and team captains met to discuss the matter, comes as a new policy is introduced allowing players and coaches to opt out of games or competitions against opposing teams “that include members of the opposite sex.”
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“In accordance with the School Committee Police JJIB-Interscholastic Athletics, the renewal of which was approved by the Digton-Rehoboth Regional School Committee on June 25, 2024, the district has notified Somerset-Berkeley Regional High School that they will be forfeiting their field hockey game scheduled for Sept. 17,” the district's statement read.
An NCAA field hockey game between the University of Iowa and Boston University at Grant Field on September 2, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (image)
“This decision was made by our field hockey coaches and captains and was notified to the opposing team,” the statement continued. “The school district supports this decision because there are times when safety must take precedence over winning. We understand that this forfeit will hurt our chances of winning the league and potentially qualifying for the playoffs, but we hope other schools will consider following our lead in the interest of ensuring safety and promoting fair competition for our girls' athletes.”
The decision by the coaches and captains was also influenced by an incident that occurred last year during a game between Dighton-Rehoboth High School and Swampscott High School.
High school field hockey captain speaks out against rule allowing boys to play on girls' team after horrific injury
The Dighton-Rehoboth girl was shot in the face by a biological man from Swampscott and suffered “severe facial and dental injuries” that “required hospitalization.”
In response to the incident, field hockey captain Kelsey Bain wrote a letter to the Massachusetts Intermediate Athletic Association (MIAA) asking the organization to change its policy in light of the incident.
“Interest would grow, but prejudice against boys playing on girls' teams is likely a hindrance,” Bain said in the letter, who has previously written that the MIAA “needs to do more.”
“I believe that school districts could form co-op teams to provide more opportunities for boys to play in their own division, which I'm sure you're already aware of as Rule 34 of the MIAA handbook lists a division for boys field hockey under the categories for fall sports,” said Warriors coach David S. Wilson.
“By moving forward with a proposed 7-on-7 men's league, we have an opportunity to change the bad press the MIAA has received as a result of the incident that occurred Thursday night.”
Bain also cited a New Boston Post article that reported 41 boys played on the girls' field hockey team during the 2019-2020 school year.
“After the injury, her teammates broke down in tears, not only worried about their teammate, but also terrified of having to return to the field and continue the game, playing against a male player who had hospitalized one of his teammates. This tragic incident shines a light on the rules and regulations for male athletes participating in women's sports.”
The MIAA issued a statement at the time saying it “understands” safety concerns but participation takes precedence over them.
“We respect and understand the complexities and concerns regarding student safety. However, student safety is not a valid defense to excluding students of one gender from participating on teams with the opposite gender,” the MIAA said in a statement. “This argument does not hold up generally because there is no correlation between injuries and mixed-gender teams.”
Bain responded to the MIAA statement.
The MIAA said it “understands” safety concerns but participation takes precedence over them. (image)
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“We have all witnessed the damage men can do to women during the game,” Bain wrote. “How long is the MIAA going to use girls as statistics before they realize that boys don't belong in women's sports? 20 injuries? 100? Deaths?”
Fox News' Ryan Gaydas contributed to this report.
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