The superintendent of the Mascenic Regional School District is cancelling all sporting events with teams from Hinsdale, following what she alleges were “deeply unwelcome” comments made during a recent game between the two Monadnock-area boys soccer teams.
In a letter this week, Mascenic Superintendent Liz Pogorzelski said that she did not make the decision lightly, but that the suspension of athletic games between the two districts for the remainder of the school year was necessary following a comment made by a member of the Hinsdale community.
“The remark went beyond the bounds of healthy competition and respectful interaction; it struck at the core of our shared values and the dignity of our students, staff, and families,” she wrote.
Pogorzelski did not elaborate on who made the remark, but confirmed the comment referenced a Mascenic student who died of cancer earlier this year.
David Ryan, Hinsdale’s superintendent, released a statement in response to Mascenic’s decision, saying he was “dismayed” by the canceled sporting events, and that an investigation found no evidence that an inappropriate comment had been made by Hinsdale students.
“However, the emotional impact that a comment like the one that was alleged would have on the family, Mascenic players, and their community does not escape us, and we are truly sorry for the grief and sorrow the entire Mascenic school community has endured since the loss of a community member,” Ryan said. “For that reason, we only wish for healing and peace in their time of grief.”
Ryan said he consulted with the executive director of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association about the situation. The boys’ soccer teams from the two schools were scheduled to meet again on October 6. That game will now be forfeited by Mascenic.
Gregory Pickering, Mascenic’s high school principal, released a separate letter to the community this week describing recent allegations of his own student cheering section engaging in “troubling accounts” of taunting, including “instances of body shaming and bigoted remarks by members of our student section.”
The high school was scheduled to hold an assembly this week to address Pickering’s concerns.
“We must work together to make certain that our stands and sidelines reflect encouragement, pride and welcome — so that every visitor leaves knowing the true spirit of our community,” he said.
