Track Runners Booted From Team For Non-Vulgar T-Shirts

NASHUA – Nashua South juniors Evan Carey and Eric Sherman were freshmen cross country runners in the fall of 2008 when, in an unusual relationship, the team held joint practices with the cross country team from Bishop Guertin.

The two coaches at the time, Art Demers at South and Scott Singleton of Bishop Guertin, were friends and saw benefits from training together at Mine Falls Park. The athletes on the two teams became more friends than rivals and they even had T-shirts printed that read “Bishop South’ on the front and “Above the Rivalry’ on the back.

The relationship ended when Singleton wasn’t rehired at Bishop Guertin; Demers has since resigned as South’s coach. Carey and Sherman still have the shirts and fond memories of their freshman cross country season.

But when Carey and Sherman wore the shirts to track and field practices they were asked to remove them by new South coach Jason Paling. When Carey and Sherman wore them on Tuesday, before an away meet, they weren’t allowed to ride the team bus.

On Thursday afternoon they met with athletic director Tom Arria and were formally thrown off the team.

“He told us if we want to be on the team, we can’t wear the shirts,’ Sherman said after the meeting Thursday afternoon. “At the same time they keep insisting that the issue isn’t about the shirts.’

Earlier on Thursday, before the two runners, both honor students, were dismissed from the team for the remainder of the season. Arria cited a violation of team rules and defying the coach as reasons for disciplining the two juniors.

Carey said the issue is about censorship and first amendment rights. He said he tried to cite a Supreme Court case during the meeting that dealt with the subject of messages on t-shirts.

“He never listened to anything we said,’ Carey said. “He said he didn’t want to be lectured.’

Carey said the t-shirts symbolized “an outstanding level of sportsmanship between two teams’ and “glorified unity.’

“It wasn’t like we were wearing shirts that said ‘BG Sucks,’ or “North Sucks,’ ’ Carey added. “He said he’s banned kids from wearing beer shirts.’

Carey and Sherman said they weren’t sure yet what their next step would be, but have talked about appealing the decision to the city’s Board of Education.

Ethan Dionne, a 2009 South graduate and member of the 2008 cross country team expressed his feelings in an e-mail.

“How is it right, kicking students off a team for simply wearing a shirt that is merely a message of peace?’ Dionne wrote. “Bishop South promotes friendly competition. Not allowing them to wear this shirt is a form of censorship and is unconstitutional.’

Paling said he couldn’t comment. A rria, after the students were dismissed, declined to comment further on a school disciplinary matter.