BURLINGTON — Six weeks after a boys soccer match between Winooski High School and Enosburg Falls High School led to allegations of racist abuse and physical violence, the two sides met on the field Tuesday to vie for a spot in the finals of the state tournament.
Enosburg Falls High edged out Winooski High 3-2 in a late afternoon match that was held at Burlington High School, a neutral field. Both teams committed some fouls and were at times physical, though officials appeared to keep the game under control.
“There was a lot of respect,” Winooski High Principal Jean Berthiaume said after the match, noting he saw players helping each other up off the ground while playing.
Fans and other spectators were not allowed inside the gates for Tuesday’s game, a decision that was announced Monday by the Vermont Principals’ Association, which governs school sports in the state. School administrators were allowed to attend.
Reporters and photographers were also set to be barred from the match as of Monday, but the principals’ association, together with the Winooski School District, reversed that decision Tuesday amid pressure from media organizations, including VTDigger.
Winooski schools hosted the game, even though it was held at Burlington High.
Police officers stood near the gates before and during the match. A livestream was available online, and it had about 2,500 total views as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Mike Donoghue, executive director of the Vermont Press Association and Vermont Sports Media Association, said Tuesday the associations had filed an objection to the proposed media ban, believing it to be a violation of the First Amendment.
He said multiple lawsuits were considered before the principals’ association reversed their decision. The two associations were pleased with that result.
The Winooski High and Enosburg Falls High teams had not played each other since Sept. 18 when, according to a statement from the Winooski school superintendent, Enosburg Falls players and fans hurled racist language at Winooski players of color.
An Oct. 18 regular-season game between the two teams was canceled. But since both made the state playoffs, they had to face each other again.
Last month, an internal investigation by Enosburg Falls High officials found no evidence that racist language was used during the Sept. 18 game. But officials considered their investigation to be incomplete because they could not interview Winooski’s players.
The game was first brought to the principals’ association’s attention the day after it was played. The head referee notified them that a Winooski player was removed from the game after he was given a red card for “violent conduct,” and the team’s players were fouling excessively, Jay Nichols, the association’s executive director, has said.
Enosburg officials then sent the association video of a Winooski player headbutting an Enosburg player, according to Nichols. The referee had not witnessed the headbutt, which gave the Enosburg player a concussion, Nichols has said.
Following the match, the Enosburg player’s mother filed a complaint with the Winooski Police Department. Chief Rick Hebert said the department investigated the complaint and after about two weeks, sent it to the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s office.
“I had some reservations about turning a sporting event — whether it was inappropriate conduct or not — into a criminal charge,” Herbert said.
The state’s attorney’s office declined to prosecute the case. In a letter to Winooski police, Deputy State’s Attorney Lucas Collins wrote that criminal prosecution was not appropriate and participation in contact sports “involves consent to a certain level of physical contact.”
“I understand that the school and Vermont Principals’ Association have already taken up the matter,” Collins wrote, “and as such I consider it properly addressed.”
Berthiaume said both Winooski High and Enosburg Falls High have completed their investigations into the Sept. 18 game, and Winooksi officials now want more information from the principals’ association about how a third-party investigation would look.
Speaking after the game, Enosburg Falls High coach Randy Swainbank said he felt his team had handled the playing environment well.
“It was a tough season — kind of a cloud over all the accomplishments that we had this year,” Swainbank said. “We kept them focused on their job, and they came to work every day in practice to get themselves better, and they were rewarded today.”
Berthiaume said Winooski’s players have learned a lot since the Sept. 18 game.
“I think our boys are just incredibly resilient,” the principal said. “It’s just frustrating that these are realities that our players face.”
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