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SPENCER/EAST BROOKFIELD – Approximately 2,500 people signed a petition – hoping to raise awareness about the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (MIAA) policies regarding suspensions of student athletes.
The petition happened following the one-year suspension of David Prouty High School senior basketball player Fred Neiray last month.
Neiray’s high school career ended abruptly following an incident in mid-January during a game against Northbridge.
Neiray was called for a foul by the referee Kevin Murray and said to him, “that’s a soft call.” He was assessed a technical foul and Coach Patrick O’Connor called him to the bench.
But the situation did not end there. On his way walking to the bench, the high school student brushed shoulders with the referee. As a result, he was thrown out of the game.
The next day, Neiray received a phone call from his coach, telling him he could not play the rest of the season. That was because the referee reported the shoulder brush as “an assault,” and the MIAA determined that ruling.
The suspension, ending Neiray’s high school career, was appealed by his coach, Athletic Director Thomas Miller, Principal Mary LaFreniere and Superintendent Paul Haughey.
At a January 27 appeals hearing before a five-member panel, letters praising the student’s character were presented. Neiray apologized, saying the physical contact made with the referee was unintentional.
Videos showed the minor level of contact between them.
However, the board of appeals voted unanimously to uphold the suspension.
Neiray’s father, Judelius “Ricky” Neiray explained that his son can practice with the team and travel to games but must sit on the bench. “The decision is final. He has accepted his fate,” Neiray said.
Acknowledging that his son initially took the suspension hard, Neiray added, “I told him I was very proud of him. From the first week, he kept his head up and never shied away from anything.”
He added, “He took it like a man and moved on.”
Shortly after the ruling, a friend set up a “Fairness for Fred,” GoFundMe account, which raised approximately $1,300. It was meant to pay for a legal appeal.
But Neiray (the father) explained he and his wife received advice from two lawyers, who advised them against prolonging a case that would prove unsuccessful.
Neiray said his son hopes to play basketball in April for the AAU, a private basketball tournament with kids participating from throughout central Massachusetts.
Because it is expensive to pay to participate, Neiray hopes to use the money raised toward that purpose, with donors’ approval.
He noted his son also wants to play basketball in college. Although no decisions have been made, the DPHS senior is looking at Worcester State, Framingham State, Westfield State and other schools as possibilities following graduation.
In the meantime, Fred Neiray has continued as a coach and referee for elementary aged students from Spencer/East Brookfield. And the entire family has been blown away by the “tremendous,” support they have received from the public.
“It was above and beyond,” Ricky Neiray said. “We received so many emails and calls of support from East Brookfield, Spencer, Worcester…The residents have been great.”
Neiray added he hopes the petition leads to the MIAA re-thinking its practice of one-year suspensions and instead, offering punishments like missing four to six games.
