DUXBURY, MASS. (WHDH) - A state senator met with Duxbury High School football players Saturday to talk with them about how their alleged anti-Semitic language discriminates against Jewish people.
School officials are investigating after the team allegedly used anti-Semitic language to call plays during a game against Plymouth North High School earlier in the month, and coach Dave Maimaron was fired last week. State Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, said he wanted to speak to the students about what being Jewish means to him.
“I explained that Jewish people have faced centuries of discrimination and persecution, and I noted how the Nazis tapped into this prejudice,” Finegold tweeted Sunday.
“Words have consequences, and what you do matters. It matters when you use the word “Auschwitz.” It matters when you have the courage to step up, right a wrong, and not be a bystander. This is about the message you send to friends, neighbors, and the broader community,” Finegold continued.
Speaking with 7News, Finegold said he felt so passionate about talking with students because playing high school and college football had a huge impact on his life.
“For those of us who played football the ultimate thing you learn is respect, treating your opponents, treating your teammates with respect and to me, using these words really lacks respect,” Finegold said.
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