AG Healey issues plan after rise in hate and bias incidents in Massachusetts schools

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today announced she is partnering with state leaders to help prevent and address hate and bias incidents in school athletic programs in Massachusetts.

AG Healey announced the partnership today during a virtual event called “Addressing Hate & Bias in School Athletics: A Call to Action,” that her office hosted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, and Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association. The event provided a robust discussion and resources for school administrators, athletic directors, coaches, and referees.

According to Healey’s Office, in recent months, there has been a rise in reported hate-based incidents across Massachusetts.

As part of the event, AG Healey announced a new collaborative project to expand programming around preventing and addressing hate and bias incidents in school sports, including an in-person conference planned for the start of the 2022-2023 school year, and regional trainings to be conducted by Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society.

“Sports can be a powerful tool for bringing people together, but in recent months we’ve seen too many examples where the hate and bias that infects so much of our culture has made its way into our locker rooms and onto our playing fields,” said AG Healey. “At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than investing in the health and well-being of our young people. I want to thank our partner organizations and school leaders who are ready to build positive change throughout the state.”

“School sports are important to students’ physical and mental health and are a great way to build a sense of community, but only when teams, locker rooms and competitions are safe and welcoming places for everyone,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. “This has been a challenging year in many ways, and I’m glad to see so many leaders convene around this important issue.”

“There is no more important responsibility of our schools than providing a safe and supportive environment for our students to grow as responsible citizens,” said Tim Piwowar, President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. “Hate and bias have no place in our schools and community, and it is our collective responsibility to set appropriate expectations for our students.”

“The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association is positioned to play a significant role in growing the courageous leaders of tomorrow,” said Robert Baldwin, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. “Utilizing interscholastic athletics as a platform that proactively promotes behaviors that instill respect for self, team, opponents, officials, rules and the game itself prioritizes our core responsibility – particularly educational athletics, which includes sportsmanship and diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

Healey’s Office stated that today’s event provided attendees with information on current resources available to schools, including the AG’s new School Sports Guidance. Following today’s event, the AG’s Office and its partnering organizations will host an in-person conference for school administrators, athletic directors, coaches, and referees, including panel discussions and workshops on best practices around creating a positive school environment and reporting hate and bias incidents. In addition, regional trainings across the state will be conducted by Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society to provide more in-depth training and equip school and athletic program leaders with the tools they need to empower and support their students and to prevent and address hate.

“We, at the Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, applaud Attorney General Maura Healey for her leadership and unwavering commitment to stop the promulgation and proliferation of hate wherever it exists in our Commonwealth and beyond,” said Dan Lebowitz, Executive Director of The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University. “Sport is an impact engine of inclusion. It has the power to elevate conversation, inspire individual and collective change agency, and create true, sustainable change. AG Healey, her office, and all the committed stakeholders in this initiative, see and embrace sport as a pathway to positive youth engagement, social-emotional development, and the collective community inherent in teamwork. Hate and hurt have no place in sport, and we remain grateful to AG Healey for her responsive proactivity in creating such an intentional program of hope and healing. We are honored to contribute and be part of the team.”

For more information on the AG’s project on addressing hate and bias in sports and to sign your school up for upcoming programs and trainings, click here.