A female hockey student suffered horrific facial injuries after being hit by a shot from a male opponent.
Footage of the horror crash saw the woman collapse and scream in pain after the ball hit her face, with the male player’s participation causing a kickback despite being allowed under Massachusetts law.
The incident occurred Thursday between two varsity teams at Swampscott High School and Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, with the former coming out on top thanks to two goals from the male player.
In an email after the incident, Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey told alarmed parents that their student’s injury “dramatically increases the concerns of many about player safety.”
Sickening footage showed the moment a male hockey player blasted a female opponent with full force
The injured player immediately falls to the ground in pain after suffering serious facial injuries, including missing two teeth
Many viewers of the footage have reacted angrily to the male player’s presence on the pitch, due to the unfair physical advantage he has after going through puberty.
In the footage, a female Dighton-Rehoboth player passed the ball to their male teammate, who controlled the ball before unleashing a vicious shot.
The ball immediately hit an opponent in the face, leaving her with horrific facial injuries, including the loss of two teeth, which sent her to hospital. Her condition is unclear.
Shocked teammates were seen resting their hands on their knees and comforting each other after witnessing the horrific injury.
Despite the harrowing scenes, the male player’s place on the team was defended by Swampscott Public Schools Athletic Director Kelly Wolff, who said he has “the exact same right to participate as any player on the team.”
Wolff identified the player, who is not believed to be transgender, as a four-year varsity player and a co-captain of the team, according to WCVB.
The athletic director’s position that he can compete is correct under Massachusetts law, which has no restrictions whatsoever preventing a male athlete from competing in female sports.
Other players were seen running to the injured student’s side after she was hit by the ball
Players were seen consoling each other and visibly upset after witnessing the horrific injury
Amid the backlash, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) released a statement to explain the legal basis that allows men and women to play sports on opposite-sex teams.
“The Massachusetts General Law was originally enacted to protect students from discrimination on the basis of sex, and was later expanded to protect students on the basis of gender identification,” the MIAA statement said.
“As a result of this law, and in accordance with the interpretive guidance provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, athletic opportunities must be provided to students consistent with their identified gender, and not necessarily their birth-assigned gender. ‘
In response, Runey said the law is clear but ignores the potential for reduced player safety by allowing male players to compete against women.
“For any male athlete participating in a female sport, there are no restrictions,” he said.
“So I’m looking for the MIAA to facilitate some conversations to find some middle ground in terms of player safety.”
Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey told alarmed parents that their student’s injury “dramatically increases the concerns of many about player safety.”
He continued, “While speaking with a MIAA representative this morning, she mentioned that the MIAA handbook contains a legal note explaining how the Massachusetts Equal Rights Amendment makes male participation on female teams legal.”
The superintendent said he decided to speak out after “seeing and coaching the horror in the eyes of our players as they greeted their bus last night,” which he said is “evidence that there needs to be a renewed approach by the MIAA come to protect the safety of our athletes.’
Runey cited previous rules surrounding girls’ volleyball to determine how to handle the situation, with male players allowed to participate but not allowed to play on the front line “because their ability to spike the ball posed a higher risk.”
These conditions were deemed illegal and are no longer in effect, Runey added.