The chair of the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association (ROPSSAA) said the athletic council is committed to gender equity.
That reaffirmation to equity comes after an all-male team from the ISNA Private Islamic High School said it would not play the second half of a soccer game against Robert F. Hall Wolfpack on Tuesday at the Creditview Sandalwood Fields when it realizedtwo of the Hall players were female.
“The ROPSSAA rules state that a girl has the right to play on a boys team if she is good enough,” said Paul Freier, who is also a high school principal in Peel.
The coach of the ISNA team said the team would not continue the game for religious reasons and personal beliefs. Freier said ISNA, an independent school, applied to join ROPSSAA two years ago and by doing so agreed to abide by all ROPSSAA rules. He said there had never been any issue with the school prior to this.
At the half, Robert Hall led the game 3-1 and wound up winning 6-1. The two girls sat out the second half. Freier said he has sent a message to ISNA reminding them of the ROPSSAA rule but has not heard back.
There is a clause in the ROPSSAA constitution that states, “ROPSSAA Council shall have the power to suspend a member school and/or coach from ROPSSAA should a school and/or coach knowingly and intentionally disregard the constitution, playing regulations or policies of the association.”
When asked whether ROPSSAA would consider any action against the school he said that would be determined if there was a complaint made about ISNA.
The ROPSSAA executive meets on June 9, with the annual general meeting set for June 19.
Freier said he has no intention of changing the gender equity policy but noted any school could bring forth a rule change it wished to make at the general meeting. He said there are no indications that ISNA is planning to propose a rule change.