Mt. Ararat High School Hockey Program Reinstated: A Path Forward After Hazing Incident
The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) has made a decision to allow MSAD 75 to restart its hockey program following a hazing incident that led to the program's suspension last year. The district had suspended the Mt. Ararat High School boys hockey team after they forfeited their last two games, violating the MPA’s rules. An investigation revealed a pattern of misconduct, prompting the district to take steps towards reinstating the program, including hiring a new Athletic Director, implementing new policies for locker room supervision, and providing training for coaches on fostering healthy team cultures.
The MPA committee unanimously voted to reinstate the program, allowing the district to move forward with plans to reactivate the boys’ hockey team. Despite the suspension, the district has stayed in touch with families of former players and believes there is still interest from around 20 students to participate in the program again. However, the district has faced challenges in hiring new coaches for the upcoming season.
To ensure that interested players can still be part of the upcoming hockey season, Mt. Ararat High School has been approved by the MPA to join a new cooperative team hosted by Lewiston High School. This collaboration will allow students to continue their hockey pursuits while the district works on resolving the coaching situation. The district's efforts to address the hazing incident and create a safe and positive environment for student-athletes have been recognized by the MPA, paving the way for the program's reinstatement.