RI High School Sports -- The Newest Stage for Politics and Bad Behavior

RI High School Sports -- The Newest Stage for Politics and Bad Behavior

Rhode Island’s high school sports league — the Interscholastic League — is becoming the newest stage for political battles and questionable behavior.

The first political significant expression in recent memory at a Rhode Island high school game was in 2017 when a coach took a knee in support of racial equality. Now, the pace has increased -- parents attacking coaches after state championship games; students posting videos to social media with racists comments; and now allegations of racial comments by a nearly all-white student body wearing red, white and blue clothing directed at a school comprised of nearly all minority students.

This week, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) is navigating an alleged incident between students and athletes at one of Rhode Island’s whitest communities — Burrillville is more than 95 percent white and Central Falls is a community that is 20 percent white and more than 64 percent Latino.

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This alleged incident is just one in a growing number of complex issues playing out in RI’s high school sports.

RIIL is not directly associated with any state or local governmental body — the organization is a not-for-profit with assets of more than $3 million and collects hundreds of thousands in dues from the participating schools annually.

High School Games - Backdrop to Everything From Political Protests, Parents Assaulting Coaches and Racial Outbursts

For long-time RIIL Executive Director Tom Mezzanotte the job has become a constant challenge managing high profile incidents.

This week, the RIIL is navigating allegations that Burrivillle students shouted racist comments at students and athletes from Central Falls high school at a girls' varsity volleyball game.

Central Falls Superintendent Stephanie Downey Toledo was direct in affirming that the racist incident took place, and wrote in a letter to Mezzanotte and other RIIL officials, “The Central Falls School District requests that the League look at and address issues of poor sportsmanship, inappropriate behaviors, and racism by teams and fans to uphold the governing values of the League which include equity, fairness, and justice.”

This week, the Rhode Island Soccer Association called for Burrillville’s High School’s sports team to be suspended in masse.

“The Rhode Island Soccer Association on behalf of our 1,300 players and their families asks that the RIIL suspend Burriville from Interscholastic sports competition for one year immediately,” the organization wrote on Facebook.

Mezzanotte has distanced himself from the RI Soccer Association and stated that the group has no standing with RIIL, "Please be aware that the RI Soccer Association has no affiliation or standing with the RIIL and its member schools."

“Following the … girls’ volleyball match between Central Falls and Burrillville High Schools on September 24, 2019, the RIIL asked both school districts to investigate an alleged incident that took place. Upon completion of those investigations, the RIIL Principals’ Committee on Athletics will review all information and render a decision,” said Mezzanotte in a statement this week.

 

Did it all start with a soccer coach taking a knee?

The intersection between high school sports and politics may have started with the actions of the soccer coach at Moses Brown.

As GoLocal reported in 2017, Moses Brown varsity boy’s soccer Eric Aaronian announced that he would kneel during the national anthem at a game versus Westerly High School, in an email sent to parents — mimicking the behavior of NFL players.

The issue of kneeling sparked a national debate fueled by the NFL protests -- and President Donald Trump’s condemnation.

Aaronian who was also the chair of the Science Department Chair at the prep school located on Providence's East Side, where tuition for the day school is $35,555 for grades 9-12. 

Mezzanotte said at the time that during the national anthem players and coaches are expected "to properly show respect during the playing of the National Anthem is to stand, remove your hat and place your hand over your heart."

"Much like other state high school associations we do not/have not released a statement relative to our position on what is occurring with the playing of the National Anthem.  However, when asked we share the following: It is the sincere desire of the RIIL that all participants at an education based event demonstrate proper respect and attention during the presentation of the National Anthem while respecting the rights of individual freedoms of expressions," said Mezzanotte in an email to GoLocal. 

 

Behavior Issues Growing

Last spring, RIIL banned a parent for life from attending any league games in Rhode Island after his arrest. 

As GoLocalProv.com first reported, a parent for the winning La Salle Academy Boys Lacrosse team was charged with assault by Cranston Police for attacking a coach for the Moses Brown team.

Scott Young, 51, of Douglas, Massachusetts was arrested on June 7 by Cranston police after an investigation into the incident at the game on Sunday, June 2. 

Mezzanotte told GoLocal this was the first time the league ever handed down such a punishment.

“He is banned from all future RI Interscholastic games,” said Mezzanotte.

“It is unbelievable what goes on at games at the youth level to high school. It is a societal issue,” he said. "Do we have to ban parents from games?”

“Parents should enjoy attending and participating. Sports are a great learning experience, but there simply is no room for this type of horrific behavior,” added Mezzanotte.

 

Current Year

This fall, three La Salle varsity high school soccer players were suspended for three games after they posted to social media videos with racist comments.

For RIIL, the management of sports has transformed scheduling and organizing playoffs to navigating race, politics and violent behavior. High school sports are now very different.