New Jersey politicians are taking the idea of “being a good sport” to a whole new level.
High school athletes in the Garden State are now banned from making harassing statements “related to race, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or religion” at sporting events starting this fall.
The ban, which was issued Wednesday as part of a joint effort by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and the office of the Attorney General of New Jersey and its New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, also requires referees to report incidents of trash talking to the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights for ‘further investigation.’ The ban will apply to all 433 public, parochial and private schools that are members of the NJSIAA.
The punishment for students and coaches cited for ‘unsportsmanlike’ verbal or physical conduct during a game is disqualification from the next two games, with the exception of football, which is just one game.
These rule changes go along with the guidelines in the state’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2011. The law addresses issues of harassment, intimidation, and bullying in the state’s public schools, including athletics.
John J. Hoffman, the state’s acting Attorney General, spoke out about the policy, saying that it helps build character and teach about teamwork.
“High school sports should be about building character and instilling life-lessons about grace, courage, teamwork, and adversity,” Hoffman said in a statement, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Sometimes, we lose sight of those lessons on the field and in the stands.”
Triton High School football coach Pete Goetz supports the ban, but worries about it going too far.
“You can’t expect kids to be robots,” he told the Inquirer. “But I want kids to respect the game and what the game stands for. I like kids congratulating each other, showing team spirit, getting pumped up, but you can’t take it too far.”
