A high school football coach in Maine lost his job after instructing his players to tease an opposing player about his gay parents.
“The parents, Lynn and Stephanie Eckersley-Ray, of Yarmouth, say Gray-New Gloucester coach Duane Greaton told his players to taunt their son every time he was tackled during a game last Friday by saying, ‘Who’s your daddy?,'” according to an October 20 Associated Press report printed in the Boston Globe.
“The Eckersley-Rays say parents and players told them about the taunting order before the game began, but no taunting was overheard during the game,” the AP said. “Superintendent Craig King said Thursday that Greaton no longer works for the district.” According to the Globe, the coach was “dismissed” after the incident, although an addition in the Globe noted that “It’s unclear if the coach resigned or was fired. Greaton did not return a phone call seeking comment.”
The organization GLSTN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Founded in Massachusetts in 1990, GLSTN has grown to a national organization with chapters all over the country.
Here are the New England chapters. For details and support, contact your nearest branch, even if it’s across state lines:
Downeast Maine, Ellsworth. (207) 217-9873, downeastme@chapters.glsen.org
Southern Maine, Portland. (207) 619-1417, glsensomaine@gmail.com
New Hampshire, Concord. (603) 369-6686, newhampshire@chapters.glsen.org
Massachusetts, Amherst. (617) 684-5736, massachusetts@chapters.glsen.org
Connecticut, Stamford. (203) 533-9613, connecticut@chapters.glsen.org
