A new set of allegations involving racial abuse and bullying have come to light following the news last week that Mount Douglas secondary had temporarily this spring due to an incident that left one playerB次元官网网址檚 gear soaked in urine.
School principal Shawn Boulding called the incident the last straw B次元官网网址� with it resulting in the temporary suspension of the two offending players from school and shutting down the program in its entirety for more than 10 days during the recent spring training season.
However, an anonymous source associated with the team has since come forward to the saying the issue of bullying and harassment goes back years, including racial slurs and a code of silence.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pathetic that the administration did absolutely nothing after the urine incidentB次元官网网址� [The principal] shying away from [the word B次元官网网址榖ullyingB次元官网网址橾 is [BS], this is complete and textbook bullying,B次元官网网址� said the source, adding it was not uncommon to find water bottles filled with urine around the locker room.
B次元官网网址淚n the past there has been bottles of urine in the cave, but [theyB次元官网网址檇 mostly] cleared them out.B次元官网网址�
It was also learned that the Rams held a healing circle in May, to deal with what the source said was a B次元官网网址渂ullyingB次元官网网址� issue.
B次元官网网址淒uring the time when we would have normally been practising, we spent that time with [principal Shawn Boulding] working with our players in firstly a healing circle, followed up by educational sessions and presentations including leadership, honesty, respect, behaviour and how to respond appropriately,B次元官网网址� said Rams coach Mark Townsend. B次元官网网址淲e have already seen positive changes, and I am confident our program will emerge stronger than ever through this productive pain.B次元官网网址�
But the source said the code of silence is too strong.
B次元官网网址淐oaches and [school administration donB次元官网网址檛 know] what happens away from the field,B次元官网网址� said the source, adding the victim of the urine prank likely followed the code in accepting the incident was a prank gone awry.
The source also said the teamB次元官网网址檚 locker room, an underground dugout known as B次元官网网址榯he cave,B次元官网网址� is an area unsupervised by adults and suggested itB次元官网网址檚 long been a place where abusive hazing incidents go unchecked.
B次元官网网址淭o this point we have not had complaints about racism within the football program,B次元官网网址� said Townsend, adding the current allegations have not been brought forward to school administration. B次元官网网址淐ertainly we have not personally witnessed any such incidents, and the claims B次元官网网址� are extremely disconcerting and very troubling.
B次元官网网址淭he school and the football program take any issue of inappropriate conduct extremely seriously. We have a zero tolerance policy with anything of this nature, but we cannot do anything if the concern has not been brought forward to us.
B次元官网网址淎s I said, we are working with our student athletes and have seen improvement already. I am confident we will emerge a stronger program through the efforts of our coaching staff and school administration.B次元官网网址�
reporter@saanichnews.com
