PEABODY — Just an hour after the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association publicly launched the letter it despatched to Bishop Fenwick detailing its Board of Directors’ unprecedented choice to ban postseason play for all sports activities in 2023-24, the penalized faculty packed its auditorium Monday night time in an open discussion board for the Crusaders’ neighborhood to lift issues and get solutions from administration on what precisely occurred.
Upset attendants voiced frustration towards hosts Thomas Nunan (Bishop Fenwick President) and Neil Harrington (Chairman of the Board of Trustees), preaching accountability after the 2 mentioned what they felt have been trustworthy errors in violation of MIAA Rule 87.6 relating to waivers — particularly center faculty and fifth-year eligibility.
Whatever distinction mother and father and the 2 really feel in what ought to occur to the administration concerned, although, the message was loud and clear from each side: The MIAA’s penalty is way too extreme, and pointed on the unsuitable individuals.
“This decision punishes all the kids, every one of them … over which they have no control,” Nunan mentioned. “This has nothing to do with our kids. … No one I know has ever heard of such a punishment.”
“This decision is unjust and unfair,” Harrington added. “(The severity) is completely and totally arbitrary.”
The letter the MIAA launched to media retailers earlier within the afternoon shed extra mild on the infractions its Board of Directors felt have been extreme sufficient for the harshest penalty it has dealt throughout a whole faculty’s athletics. Nunan had loads of notes of his personal.
As far as a seventh-grader’s participation in the highschool’s baseball program out of the college’s partnered St. Mary’s of the Annunciation School, with out the required waiver filed, Nunan claims there was verbal affirmation beneath earlier administration from each the MIAA and Bishop Fenwick that the center faculty and highschool have been “one entity.” That led to an impression that no waiver was truly required.
In response to misinformation filed for a fifth-year eligibility type that incorrectly labeled a baseball pitcher’s earlier athletic success, amongst different errors within the waiver software, Nunan then assured the group that the college was thorough in its questioning of whether or not or not it had submitted every thing the correct method.
He addressed issues over the college’s 5 whole waiver functions during the last three years by saying not one of the three gamers with rejected functions touched the sector, the infractions outlined by the MIAA have been highlighted nicely after it was believed there have been no errors, and there was by no means any discover that’s harsh of a sanction may very well be imposed.
“The MIAA believes we willfully and intentionally lie, that we were knowingly deceitful. … To think that we cheat, lie, deceive at this school for any reason is nonsense,” Nunan mentioned. “At no time did I think (we were) doing something wrong.”
While hopeful of a decision, members of the viewers weren’t simply swayed by the ready speech as soon as the ground opened as much as questions. Hard questions and feedback have been met with loud applause, and the 2 hosts needed to soak up some pointed phrases.
One dad or mum identified how straightforward it was for him to see {that a} seventh-grade student-athlete is barred from varsity play — one thing the baseball program allowed to occur. When Harrington and Nunan responded by saying many different colleges have center faculty student-athletes play varsity, he corrected them by saying it’s allowed in a program with out adequate numbers.
As a part of three totally different complaints that one sport’s infractions shouldn’t penalize the entire faculty, Harrington and Nunan merely agreed. When one participant requested of any accountability handed right down to the baseball coach, Nunan simply identified that only one infraction applies to him.
Parents pleaded for accountability from Nunan, the board and different directors, of which Nunan identified there’s a new principal. Harrington began off the discussion board by acknowledging new authorized counsel and later mentioned the board is behind Nunan.
Multiple individuals requested about leaving the MIAA, which Nunan mentioned is a call that can be mentioned once more after contemplating a transfer three years in the past. Nunan is uncertain how the sanctions will have an effect on the college’s three co-op groups, and is hopeful for college kids to remain on the faculty as sports activities — with out postseason eligibility — will nonetheless be out there.
Discussions with the MIAA on a hopeful discount of the penalty are ongoing and Nunan expects dialog to select up throughout the subsequent 10 days.
Overall, Nunan was happy with the discussion board’s productiveness and ended it by giving everybody within the viewers his cellphone quantity.
Source: www.bostonherald.com