MIAA Vows Action Amid Danvers Hockey Abuse Probe, Racism Charges

DANVERS, MA — The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association plans to expand its support and training resources around equity, diversity and inclusion in response to recent Danvers High School hockey abuse accusations and other incidents involving racial taunts and altercations among high school athletes and coaches across the state.

While saying the MIAA should not "play judge or jury as investigators or arbitrators into allegations of racism, sexism, homophobia, or other forms of bias," MIAA Executive Director Robert Baldwin said Friday the state's scholastic sports governing body has a duty to "respond effectively to incidents when they do arise."

"I am particularly committed to expanding the training that we offer players, coaches, officials and others with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion," Baldwin said. "First and foremost, we must do our part to ensure that no one engaged in interscholastic athletics feels disrespected, unsafe or unwelcome – on or off the playing fields."

The Danvers community is struggling to deal with accusations that hockey players engaged in racist and homophobic locker room hazing rituals as recently as 2020, and that racist and anti-semitic graffiti — including two swastikas — was found on the bathroom wall at the Holten-Richmond Middle School. As members of the School Committee and Superintendent of Schools Lisa Dana have come under fire from some residents and newer School Committee members for their response to the hockey abuse charges, school and town officials this week noted the recent incidents are part of a larger issue within the town.

"We are acutely aware that this most recent incident fits into a broader pattern," school and town officials said in a joint statement on Tuesday after the graffiti was found in the middle school bathroom, "both within our schools and within our broader community that includes allegations of racial profiling at a local business, an apparent noose left outside a local church, an investigation into racist and homophobic behavior last year by student-athletes, a Confederate flag flown in our downtown as part of a political rally and a swastika discovered in the woods behind the middle school.

"We want to be clear in our condemnation of these acts, actions and allegations. Individually, they are ugly, unacceptable and have no place in Danvers or any other community. Collectively, they are proof that there is much work to be done."

Baldwin also cited a brawl that broke out at a Georgetown-Roxbury Prep football game – which included accusations of racial slurs – in looking for ways the MIAA can play a role in preventing these incidents without creating "yet another layer of bureaucracy and compliance, especially when (schools) are struggling through such difficult circumstances in their communities."

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"We are deeply troubled by allegations that players, coaches or fans harassed members of the opposing team with racial slurs and other hateful language," Baldwin said. "Sportsmanship is one of the MIAA's five central pillars, and we take very seriously our responsibility to help instill in student-athletes a commitment to behaving with the utmost respect and dignity."

A Concord-Carlisle teacher and Newton South football coach was also recently placed on leave after he was accused of using a racial slur during a football game late last month.

"One of the greatest benefits of interscholastic sports is the opportunity to meet and interact with students from other communities and backgrounds," Baldwin said. "It is essential that students and adults approach those interactions with respect and civility."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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