Parents React To Needham Soccer Suspensions
NEEDHAM (CBS) -- The Needham High School girls' soccer team has gotten a lot of attention after five players were suspended for hazing younger players on the team. The hazing incident involved players being put on dog leashes and smacked in the face with pies.
One Needham parent who did not want to be identified said, "I was livid over the hazing. It was mean-spirited and crossed the line of fun and games and that's why people were upset."
However, the parent believes the girls should've been given a second chance based on the school's handbook.
"She had not been harmed or put at risk, but they made her do things that were kind of demeaning," the parent said.
Sharon Lund, the parent of another player, has a different take.
In an email to WBZ she said the hazing incident was taken out of context.
"In a nutshell, there was no intention to harm, nor was any harm perceived by team members, during a misguided attempt at team building. I can safely say that the entire Needham girls' soccer team and parents are unanimous in supporting each senior who has been placed on suspension and the coach who has been placed on administrative leave," Lund said.
It is clear that not all parents were on board with the idea of going to court to allow their kids to play.
One player's parent said taking this incident to court just makes it a bigger ordeal than it really is and paints a dark cloud over the school.
"We don't need lawyers. It makes it too difficult for the school to do its job."
The suspensions cost Needham a shot at the state title when they lost to Brockton on Tuesday.
