caution
Fall 2025-26/2026-27 Proposed Tournament Alignment appeal deadline is October 1, 2024
Summary
Beginning in the fall of 2021, we began a collective effort of addressing incidents of hate and bias as a top priority. Through collaborative efforts with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Attorney General’s Office, the Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, we worked together to tackle these behaviors.
On April 5, 2022, an unveiling of this partnership of key stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth kicked off with a forum on addressing hate and bias in schools. This unprecedented alliance of key stakeholders and advocates will hopefully demonstrate that all groups can come together for a common cause and platform of equity and leadership.
On Thursday December 8th the Addressing Hate in School Sports Conference provided additional programming and information on best practices to build positive environments in athletics and prevent, report, and address hate incidents. The conference was held in-person and included presentations, panel discussion, and workshops for school administrators, athletic directors, coaches, referees, and other school leaders.
To be successful, district trainings comprised of a team of Superintendent, High School Principal, and Athletic Director receiving one clear message regarding norms and expectations for behavior, is imperative. It is our belief that a united school and district leadership team utilizing the platform of interscholastic athletics will permeate our schools, communities, and society.
In the Spring of 2023, regional trainings took place between March and May. Eleven trainings were offered throughout the geographical regions of the Commonwealth. The focus of these free trainings was to empower school and athletic leaders with the skills and tools requisite to build safe space communities through a deeper understanding of how unconscious bias, toxic speech, and other micro-aggressions, specific to interpersonal incidents of violence, can be identified, responded to, and eradicated. The goal was and still is, for all school and athletic leaders to leave the training with concrete tools that can be immediately implemented to prevent and address hate and bias in sports.
In the Spring of 2024, the Attorney General’s Office, in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts School Administrators Association, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education offered 8 regional trainings as a part of the Addressing Hate in School Sports statewide initiative. In addition, any school or district that previously attended a regional training was provided the opportunity to schedule a follow-up, onsite training for coaches, teachers, students, or a combination for an individual school.