Field hockey team disciplined for hazing

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Allyse Guyther, left, and Ciara Morrison battle for a loose ball during this week's field hockey action. The team was disciplined for a hazing incident.

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) has taken disciplinary action against the girl’s field hockey team after a team event resulted in hazing activities.

Last Friday the girl’s field hockey team gathered at a player’s home for a team-building and bonding activity which involved dinner, according to MVRHS athletic director Mark McCarthy. The team was doing a regular ritual where the older players choose a younger player to mentor. At the event there were some activities that “could be ruled as hazing,” McCarthy said; “[it] was not all hazing, some things qualified as hazing.”

There were no drugs or alcohol involved in the incident, though McCarthy declined to discuss the nature of the incident.

After the incident, the MVRHS administration took steps to interview players and coaches. The school has taken action, but McCarthy said he was not at liberty to say what that action was.

No games have been canceled for the field hockey team, and no players have been suspended.

“We believe we’ve taken the necessary steps to address the issue,” McCarthy said. “It’s not something easy and it’s not something to take lightly, but now the girls can focus on playing and the rest of the season.”

Principal Sara Dingledy told The Times during a phone conversation the incident had been dealt with internally, and a letter was sent out to parents of field hockey players and school committee members concerning the incident.

A request for a copy of the letter was declined.

“We worked to communicate with the students and the parents. We addressed [the letter] to them, and we made our decision on how we were going to address the situation,” Dingledy said.

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