The fall is always an exciting time for Sayville High School Sports as the Golden Flashes tend to always be in contention to win some big games. However, the recent athletics news that broke late last week is not a moment the Athletic Department will be boasting about anytime soon.
The Sayville Boys Varsity Soccer team learned late last week that their season would come to an end after multiple sources have reported that a culture of “systematic and ongoing” hazing that in past years contained elements of racism and antisemitism.
Sayville School District Superintendent Mark Ferris wrote a letter to the parents, which was obtained by Newsday, that revealed younger players on the Sayville High School team were subjected to the abuse throughout this season by the upperclassmen.
“This decision was made as a result of findings from an internal investigation that uncovered members of our Varsity Soccer team participating in hazing activities off campus that included acts of violence and humiliation towards younger players on our team.” Ferris said in his letter to parents that was obtained by Newsday. “There is evidence that this behavior extended beyond this season and included additional behaviors in past years that included forms of racist and antisemitism towards certain team members. This is not a team culture that we can condone or accept as a school district.”
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Despite this going on for “Years” according to Ferrris, their findings only have come about now and the district feels that forfeiting the remaining games is the right thing to do. Something like this could potentially send a message to future players and coaches that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated and the district won’t hesitate to suspend operations if necessary.
“While these events took place off school grounds, it is our obligation as a school district to hold those who participated accountable and to send a strong message to our entire school community that hazing, discrimination, bullying, racism or antisemitism of any kind, in any possible form or Forum, is completely unacceptable and intolerable.” Said Ferris in his letter.
The Boys Varsity Soccer Team at Sayville High School already had a losing record prior to the investigation and only had two games left before the end of the season. It also remains unclear at this time if any players have received or will face any more punishment from the district for their actions.
The South Shore Press reached out to Ferris and the athletics department for comment and were not given any further information on the situation.