A head football coach at a local high school in a Boston suburb has been fired after using anti-semitic language during game play calls.
Duxbury High School school officials announced the termination of former football coach Dave Maimaron on Wednesday (March 24) in a statement obtained by WCVB.
The school also confirmed Friday's varsity football game and two junior varsity games initially scheduled for Saturday and Monday have all been postponed.
"As of today, Duxbury has severed ties with Dave Maimaron as head football coach," the statement read. "We want to be perfectly clear that we recognize how serious this is, and it is getting our undivided attention. We also recognize that this is an emotionally-charged issue for our community, and many outside of our community. The outrage is real, warranted, and we hear it. The fact that members of our school community used such offensive language, including anti-Semitic language, is horrifying and disappointing. We are collaborating with the Anti-Defamation League regarding the seriousness of the allegations, and on our short-term and long-term response."
Maimaron's termination stems from an incident on March 12 in which members of the Duxbury football team reportedly used anti-semitic language in play calls during the team's 35-0 victory over Plymouth North.
"As our investigation continues to unfold, it has become clear that members of the Duxbury High School football team did, in fact, use anti-Semitic and potentially other inappropriate and derogatory language," Duxbury Schools Superintendent John Antonucci said Tuesday in a statement.
School officials said the players "clearly demonstrated poor judgment" but the responsibility also lies on the adults running the football program in relation to the incident.
"In short, this was a systemic failure," a to the joint statement from Antonucci, Assistant Superintendent Danielle Klingaman and High School Principal James Donovan read.
"On behalf of the staff and players of the Duxbury High School football team, I want to extend my apology for the insensitive, crass and inappropriate language used in the game on March 12," Maimaron said in a statement obtained by WCVB on Monday (March 22.) "Using the term was careless, unnecessary and most importantly hurtful on its face -- inexcusable."
The Anti-Defamation League called for an independent investigation and accountability into the situation which, it claimed, involved "using 'Auchwitz' as a code name for a football play."
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