Girls field hockey team forfeits match in Massachusetts to avoid team with trans student who hospitalized player in 2023

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.

In November 2023, the Dighton-Rehoboth team played against Swampscott High School. A shot taken by male player Sawyer Groothuis, who has since graduated, hit the face of a female member of the Dighton-Rehoboth team.

A letter from Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey revealed that the female player "sustained significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter versus Swampscott in an MIAA state playoff contest."

"The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott girls' field hockey team. This injury required hospitalization. The player, her family, teammates, and coaches remain in my prayers."

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athlete Association (MIAA) states in its handbook, "If a school offers a single team in a particular sport, it may not restrict eligibility based on gender unless such a restriction is necessary to ensure that the school’s gendered designation of athletic opportunities complies with Title IX."