A high school girls’ field hockey team in Massachusetts has forfeited a match to avoid playing against a team that has a biological male. This comes after the team from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional high school played against a team in 2023 with a male player in their ranks, resulting in a female player getting her teeth knocked out on the field.
In a press release, Bill Runey, the superintendent of schools at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District, revealed that coaches and captains made the decision to forfeit over safety concerns, the Daily Mail reported.
The school board committee approved a policy in June that “allows players and/or coaches to opt out of competitions or any part thereof against an opposing team because that team includes a member of the opposite sex.”
“Our Field Hockey coaches and captains made this decision, and we notified our opponent accordingly. The District supports this decision as there are times where we have to place higher value on safety than on victory,” Runey wrote.
“We understand this forfeit will impact our chances for a league championship and possibly playoff eligibility, but we remain hopeful that other schools consider following suit to achieve safety and promote fair competition for female athletes.”
According to the Boston Globe, Somerset Berkley won back-to-back Division 1 titles in 2018 and 2019, having two male players on their team. In the current season, the school has one male player on its team. Dighton-Rehoboth Athletic Director Matthew McKinnon said that the school also intends to forfeit its game against the school scheduled for October 8.
