Dave Maimaron.Photo: y Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty
A Massachusetts high school football coach has been fired after his team allegedly used anti-Semitic language to call plays during a recent game, the school districtconfirmedWednesday.
Coach Dave Maimaron of Duxbury High School was removed from the team after players from a rival school informed their coaches that Duxbury purportedly used anti-Semitic terms during their game on March 12, theBoston Heraldreported.
In a statement to the community,Superintendent John Antonucciconfirmed anti-Semitic language had been used on the field and that the play-call system was immediately stopped.
“It was reported, and ultimately confirmed, that our team used highly offensive language on the field as part of a play-call system designed to make on-field adjustments,” he said. “It is important to note that while the players clearly demonstrated poor judgment, the responsibility for this incident also lies with the adults overseeing the program. In short, this was a systemic failure.”
“Some of the language in question had religious connotations, and while it was not directed at the opposing team or at any individual, there is simply no excuse for it,” Antonucci continued. “Behavior that promotesanythingless than full equity and inclusion is an attack on the core values of the Duxbury Public Schools and is inexcusable. We need to live these values, and we need to act accordingly.”
The team will undergo “mandatory training” in the near future, and the school will be reviewing how to best add “elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion” into their athletic and co-curricular programs.
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“There is no place in our community, or any community, for this kind of hateful speech,” saidDuxbury School Committee Chair Kellie Bresnehan. “I am outraged, disappointed and profoundly saddened that we find ourselves here. It is not in keeping with the core values of our community and school district.”
Antonucci said the play-calling incident is still an “active investigation” and the school district has hired Edward R. Mitnick of Just Training Solutions, LLC to assist them. The team’s game on Friday night has also been canceled.
source: people.com
