The head coach of a Massachusetts high school football team was suspended and his team is receiving criticism after it was caught using anti-Semitic language in its play calls, a school official said.
The team used “highly offensive language on the field as part of a play-call system” during its 35-0 win against Plymouth North High School on March 15, the Duxbury Public School superintendent said Monday.
In one instance, they allegedly used the term “Auschwitz,” according to NBC 10.
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“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,” superintendent John Antonucci said in the statement, which was also signed by Danielle Klingaman, the assistant superintendent, and James Donovan, the principal of the school.
The school is taking “appropriate action in accordance with district policy” regarding personnel and student discipline, he added, but didn’t provide additional details.
The team will undergo “a mandatory training for the team in the near future,” and “our administration will be conducting a review to determine how we can integrate the elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all of our athletic and co-curricular programs.“
The letter didn’t mention head coach Dave Maimaron, who has been suspended, according to the Boston Herald. He expressed remorse and issued an apology for the “insensitive, crass and inappropriate language used in the game on March 12.”
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Maimaron, who has been the coach since 2005, called “the use of this language … careless, unnecessary and most importantly hurtful on its face — inexcusable.”
“This incident does NOT reflect the values of the Duxbury football program, Duxburg High School, or the town of Duxbury, which is a proud No Place for Hate community. As a special education teacher and a coach, with a multiracial family, I have a lengthy record of helping students and athletes of all races, religions and capabilities to become the best they can be,” he added. “We, as a program, welcome the opportunity to participate in sensitivity and diversity training and look forward to taking the lessons learned to better ourselves and those around us.”
