NEW IPSWICH, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Mascenic Regional High School is confronting reports of unsportsmanlike behavior at recent sporting events and has announced it will remove Hinsdale High School from its athletic schedule for the rest of the year.

In a series of letters shared with families this week, Mascenic Principal Gregory Pickering said the district is investigating complaints from visiting schools that some Mascenic students directed inappropriate comments — including body-shaming and bigoted remarks — toward opposing athletes. He described the situation as troubling and urged the school community to treat all student-athletes with dignity and respect.

“We share and embody the values of kindness, tolerance, and good sportsmanship,” Pickering wrote. “Unfortunately, when a few isolated actions fall short of those values, it reflects on all of us.”

Mascenic will hold a student assembly to address the issue directly with students, staff, and coaches. Pickering asked parents to reinforce those expectations at home.

In a separate letter dated Sept. 24, Pickering announced the school’s decision to cut ties with Hinsdale athletics for the remainder of the academic year, citing “an unwarranted and deeply unwelcome comment from a member of the Hinsdale community” directed at a Mascenic family.

It was a comment, Pickering wrote in the letter, “that targeted open wounds,
personal experiences, and collective challenges faced by a family within our school and the larger
community. The remark went beyond the bounds of healthy competition and respectful interaction; itstruck at the core of our shared values and the dignity of our students, staff, and families.”

While acknowledging that Hinsdale administrators have taken steps to respond, Pickering said Mascenic would not continue athletic competition with the school this year. He emphasized the move was made “not out of anger, but out of a commitment to our values.”

Mascenic officials said they remain open to future dialogue with Hinsdale but stressed that the immediate priority is the well-being of Mascenic students and maintaining a standard of respect at school events.