In a statement on Monday, Dighton-Rehoboth’s Superintendent Bill Runey announced that the female field hockey team would be forfeiting an upcoming game against Somerset Berkley Regional High School due to a male player on the opposing team.
This comes after the Dighton-Rehoboth school committee unanimously approved a policy update in June that allows coaches and student-athletes to choose whether to compete against teams that include players of the opposite sex.
Every year in Massachusetts, female student-athletes are subjected to unfair and unsafe playing environments when they are forced to compete against male athletes. The Dighton-Rehoboth female field hockey team knows the impact of this firsthand.
In November of 2023, one of their female players was severely injured by a male player on the opposing team. Her harrowing screams after her teeth were knocked out jolted her community into action. Now, because the school committee acted on the concerns expressed by parents and students by passing the new policy, female athletes in Dighton-Rehoboth no longer have to be put at an unnecessary and increased risk of injury.
The school committee policy and the team’s decision to forfeit their upcoming game has been applauded by Libs of TikTok and former NCAA swimmer and safety in girls’ sports advocate, Riley Gaines.
We are hopeful that the Dighton-Rehoboth sports policy will serve as a blueprint, not only for districts in Massachusetts but nationally. When governing bodies refuse to take action to protect female athletes, it is up to parents, grandparents, students, and community leaders to speak up and demand action.
Will you join us in the fight to protect girls’ sports? Help us continue to advocate for the safety of female athletes in the Commonwealth with a generous donation today!
