Peabody’s Bishop Fenwick High School banned from sports postseason play for rules violation

PEABODY — Sports at Peabody’s Bishop Fenwick High School have been banned from postseason play in 2023-2024 for a rules violation, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Friday.

The MIAA found that Bishop Fenwick had failed to comply with Rule 87.6, which deals with the student-athlete eligibility waiver process. The MIAA Board of Directors voted unanimously to impose the ban, citing Bishop Fenwick’s “sufficiently serious, egregious and repeated to warrant imposition of the discipline outlined in Rule 87.6.4.”

Student-athletes that transfer from one school to another are required to obtain a waiver or else they must sit out one full year after transferring, according to The Salem News.

“The Board is empowered to give interpretations of the MIAA’s rules and to determine and enforce penalties for violations that may exceed the general penalties outlined within the rules. Failure to comply with Rule 87.6 or any of the MIAA’S Rules is a serious matter and may result in severe consequences for both the MIAA Member School and/or its students,” the MIAA said in a statement.

In addition to similar meetings in November 2022 and March 2023, Bishop Fenwick High School’s principal, athletic director and President were required to attend a hearing with the MIAA Board of Directors on May 17, 2023.

Bishop Fenwick competes in the Catholic Central League. The strict ban will apply to sports in each of the three seasons, fall, winter and spring.

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