Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A lawsuit filed by parents in Marblehead is seeking to bring back extracurricular activities during the ongoing teachers' strike.
Two parents are requesting an emergency court injunction to order the Marblehead School Committee to lift its ban on sports.
The ban was put into place while negotiations continue.
The Marblehead football team has a Division 4 quarterfinal playoff game scheduled for Friday.
Unless there is a court order to lift the ban on extracurricular activities, all sports games in the district will not be played.
Marblehead High School English teacher Connor Ryan said the strike should not be preventing students from experiencing 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities. "The MEA, from the outset, has been really, really clear that this is not about harming students," he said. "This is about a discussion between adults and the community and we have been clear and forceful with our superintendent that athletes should play, performers should perform."
Marblehead Public Schools Interim Superintendent John Robidoux issued this statement: “Our teachers who have roles as coaches or in other after-school capacities cannot pick and choose which part of their jobs they want to perform. Being in the classroom should be their first priority. They made the choice to illegally strike. We wish they hadn’t but that’s the reality. We hope this strike ends expeditiously to minimize disruption to teaching and students' learning.’’
The school committee said progress is being made with tentative agreements reached in two areas.
Educators in Beverly and Gloucester are still on strike as they try to reach a new contract with their own school committees.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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