The KIPP Academy girls basketball game on February 8 against the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell ended at halftime. The question is, why?

Collegiate Charter left after 16 minutes of play with KIPP leading, 31-14. The game goes into the books as a 10-0 forfeit win for KIPP.

According to multiple sources, KIPP has a male player on its girls basketball roster, despite the school offering a boys program. The player is reported to be more than 6 feet tall with facial hair.

KIPP officials refused to confirm the player’s gender identification. If the player identifies as female, participation on the girls team would seem to be supported by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body for high school athletics in the Commonwealth.

According to the MIAA Handbook, Section 43.3.1: “A student shall not be excluded from participation on a gender-specific sports team that is consistent with the student’s bona fide gender identity.”

The MIAA does make it clear, however, that this rule is not to be enacted for the purpose of gaining a competitive advantage, as noted in the MIAA Handbook, Section 43.3.2:

“When a school district submits a roster to the MIAA, it is verifying that it has determined that the students listed on a gender-specific sports team are eligible to participate either based on the gender listed on their official birth certificate or based on their bona fide gender identity and that no students are included on the roster solely for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage in competitive athletics. The MIAA shall defer to the determination of the student and the student’s school regarding gender classification.”

The player has reportedly been on the roster from the start of the season.

When asked if KIPP’s player had anything to do with the premature departure, Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Athletic Director Kyle Pelczar said his team was aware of the situation going into the game.

“No, and Coach (Kevin Ortins) knew going into the game, already, because we had them at home the first game of the year and nothing happened then, so he knew going into the game,” Pelczar said.

In that game, on December 12, KIPP defeated Collegiate Charter School, 36-29.

Pelczar said Ortins had his own reasons for leaving.

“So, he felt that his girls were getting injured, basically, all game,” Pelczar said. “He has a playoff game on Monday, so he didn’t want to have any more of his girls go down.”

KIPP Athletic Director Anthony Grimaldi declined to answer questions on if the school believes the player was the reason for the forfeit.

“KIPP does not wish to make a comment at this time as to why the other team forfeited the game. We are looking forward to our next game,” Grimaldi said.

KIPP – which clinched its spot in the MIAA Division 4 state tournament – has a record of 10-7 behind first-year head coach Mike McCarthy after finishing 1-19 last season. 

Jim Clark, MIAA liaison for tournaments, technology and media, said the KIPP player would be eligible to play on the girls team in the upcoming state tournament, per the MIAA Handbook.

“They go based on the team that they’re on,” Clark said. “So if they play on the girls team or if they play on the boys team, they’d stay on that team in the tournament.”

According to the MIAA, the player cannot change teams during a given season, but can change from season to season. The MIAA follows Massachusetts General Law when it comes to issues of gender.