MA Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Should Release Records Showing Any Existing Accountability Actions to Address Racial Bullying in Sports Events
Today, Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) and law firm Anderson Kreiger filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) seeking public records regarding incidents of discrimination, harassment and bullying at sporting events sponsored by the MIAA. Virtually all public secondary schools in the Commonwealth participate in sporting events governed by rules promulgated by MIAA, but according to the lawsuit, details of MIAA’s action to mitigate or investigate discriminatory incidents, if any, remain largely unknown. MIAA claims it is not subject to the public records law at all.
The issue of racial bullying in schools is prevalent and by many measures on the rise in the Commonwealth and nationwide. Racialized incidents at sporting events are particularly disturbing and problematic. In recent times, LCR has supported a number of families whose student athlete children were subject to extreme racial bullying including a high school athletics association’s discriminatory hair policies; a Black male track athlete called a racial slur during a track meet; and a Black male athlete spit on during a state tournament basketball game. Racial harassment and bullying in school sports is critical to combat as that is a space where young people should build self-esteem and learn key lessons like fair play. It is also a space where entities like MIAA are uniquely in control, particularly when racialized incidents occur at events between two different schools.
On June 26, 2025, LCR submitted a records request for public records related to MIAA’s Discriminatory Incident Process, any anti-discrimination training, and other similar records to illuminate how MIAA is safeguarding our student athletes, if they are. MIAA’s response: to produce only two documents, already available on their website, and to decline any further production.
“Ensuring that adequate remedial measures are in place to maintain a safe environment for student athletes of color during sporting events is impossible while MIAA refuses to release records about its practices and protocols for addressing the rising number of discriminatory incidents,” said Sophia Hall, LCR Deputy Litigation Director.
Today’s lawsuit seeks declaratory relief requiring MIAA not only to produce the specific requested records, but to confirm that MIAA is beholden to the Public Records Law for all future family requestors. “Families should know the MIAA’s rules around handling discriminatory incidents so that they can file complaints, if needed, and be assured that their concerns are appropriately addressed,” said Attorney Hall.
Read the full complaint here.
