Bullying and Harassment on the Ice
Civil Rights Advocates are Seeing a Rise in Identity-Based Incidents in School Hockey Programs
Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) sent a letter to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) urging immediate, systemic action to address escalating identity-based bullying and harassment in school athletics, particularly within school-affiliated hockey programs.
In recent weeks, LCR has received a surge of complaints from student-athletes describing severe homophobic slurs, locker-room intimidation, hazing, and exclusion. Reported conduct includes:
- Coaches admonishing students not to “play like they are gay”;
- References to “dick in their ass” in the context of playing defense;
- Targeted benching and denial of meaningful playing time for students perceived to be gay; and
- Social isolation and exclusion from team bonding activities.
“As hockey culture becomes part of the public conversation, particularly with the popularity of Heated Rivalry, we are seeing backlash inside and outside locker rooms,” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, LCR’s Executive Director. “These harms are rarely isolated—they compound—and LGBTQ+ students of color are among those most at risk right now, with bullying involving sexual orientation, gender expression, and race.”
“Students should never have to risk humiliation or retaliation just to participate in school sports,” said Jillian Lenson, Senior Attorney at LCR. “We’re urging the Attorney General’s Office to use its authority to ensure schools and athletic institutions take decisive action when discrimination occurs.”
LCR’s letter also raises concerns about the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), noting that while it enforces rules on sportsmanship and eligibility, it has maintained that it lacks authority to investigate and remedy identity-based incidents at MIAA events. LCR is currently in litigation involving MIAA accountability for discriminatory conduct at athletic events.
LCR is urging the Attorney General’s Office to take immediate steps to:
- Investigate patterns of anti-LGBTQ+ harassment in school hockey programs;
- Clarify schools’ obligations under civil rights laws;
- Ensure meaningful enforcement mechanisms within athletic governing structures; and
- Hold institutions accountable when discriminatory conduct occurs.
The open letter is available here.