Lamoille Union High School girls soccer players faced “harassment, sexualization and debasement” from spectators during a state playoff match at Missisquoi Valley Union High School on Oct. 27, Lamoille Union High officials said.
In a statement sent to VTDigger, the school said fans made disparaging comments about Lamoille Union High players’ weight and chest size, and some players described hearing comments about their families and parents.
The comments led some players to come off the field in tears, the school said, and others to ask for a position change so they could play on the field away from the spectators.
Lamoille Union High said its players asked the referees to intervene on their behalf, but were told the comments weren’t “mean enough” to warrant the referees’ involvement.
Amy Sparks, the Lamoille Union High head coach, also reported the verbal abuse to the referees and asked that the fans responsible for it be removed, the school said.
The referees said they would speak to Missisquoi Valley Union High administrators who were on site, according to the statement, but those fans were not removed and the harassment continued for the entire match, as well as during overtime, according to Lamoille officials.
The spectator comments exceeded typical cheering and jeering at sports games, Lamoille Union High officials said in the statement. “Lamoille parents and administration were appalled with the apparent lack of swift action and response,” they said.
New reporting system
Hate speech and harassment directed at student players has been in the spotlight since reports of racist language used against Winooski players during a game against Enosburg Falls in September. (Winooski officials are looking into the possibility of a third-party investigation after an internal investigation by Enosburg officials found no evidence that racist language was used.)
Hartford girls soccer players also reported sexual harassment and Burlington volleyball players reported “racial and transphobic slurs” during games last month.
And racial slurs were reportedly used by athletes during a playoff football game Oct. 30 between Otter Valley Union High School and Mill River Union High School, officials said. According to a joint statement from school officials the following day, a third-party investigation into the game is set to take place.
Before the Lamoille-Missisquoi match started, the school said Sparks asked the referees to “be on alert for any inappropriate comments or behavior” in light of recent reports that student-athletes across the state have faced harassment from fans and other players.
The next day, a Lamoille Union High player sent her teammates a link to the Vermont Principals’ Association’s new incident reporting log and encouraged them to file reports about the game, the school said. The association then reached out to the school.
Jay Nichols, the principals’ association’s executive director, said at least 10 reports were sent through the incident reporting log about the Oct. 27 match.
“It’s not like it’s one person saying it because they’re upset with a referee or one kid,” he said. “It was a number of people saying, ‘Yeah, this definitely happened. And here’s what I saw from my vantage point.’”
Nichols has spoken with both schools’ athletic directors about the game, he said.
Reached by phone Friday, Lamoille Union High Athletic Director Tim Messier said the Oct. 27 game was a learning opportunity for everyone involved.
“It’s unfortunate that spectators are taking this avenue to participate in athletic events,” he said. “It’s certainly something that has become a huge problem.”
Missisquoi Valley Union High is conducting an investigation of the game, Lamoille Union High said in its statement. Jay Hartman, the Missisquoi Valley Union High School principal, did not respond to VTDigger’s request for comment Friday.
“I know that MVU is taking this seriously,” Nichols said. “They’re handling it locally.”
