New Hampshire track coach is fired for violating a high school's mask mandate

A New Hampshire track coach said he was fired for violating the school’s mask mandate when he allowed students to run outside without face coverings. 

In a farewell message to his high school athletes, Brad Keyes wrote: ‘I have been fired. I am not surprised. I made my choice to speak out. They made theirs. My only regret is not being able to be there everyday to teach and encourage all of my athletes.’

Keyes, who coached at Pembroke Academy for the last four years, said the school requires student athletes to wear masks at athletic events, something he doesn’t completely agree with. 

New Hampshire track coach, Brad Keyes (pictured), said he was fired for violating the school’s mask mandate when he allowed students to run outside without face coverings

Keyes, who coached at Pembroke Academy for the last four years, said the school requires student athletes to wear masks at athletic events, something he doesn’t completely agree with

Keyes said he was informed by the Pembroke Athletic Director that during this spring’s track and field meets ‘all athletes will be required to wear masks during all races – 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, 2 mile – plus long jump, triple jump, and high jump’. 

‘I will not tell my kids they have to wear masks,’ Keyes told NBC10 Boston. ‘There’s no benefit to it other than a bureaucrat somewhere saying, “Well, we’ve done something to help the kids,” when they’re not.’

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines on youth sports, athletes should wear masks that cover their mouth and noses to combat the spread. 

However, the CDC also notes that ‘people who are engaged in high-intensity activities, like running, may not be able to wear a mask if it causes difficulty breathing’. 

‘Limit high-intensity sports when indoors,’ the CDC added.      

Keyes agreed that masks make it difficult for his athletes to breathe while running even while outdoors. He called the rules ‘arbitrary, senseless, [and] ill-thought’. 

Keyes (left and right)said he was informed by the Pembroke Athletic Director that during this spring’s track and field meets ‘all athletes will be required to wear masks during all races – 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, 2 mile – plus long jump, triple jump, and high jump’

Keyes said that masks make it difficult for his athletes to breathe while running even while outdoors. He called the rules ‘arbitrary, senseless, [and] ill-thought’

Keyes said he’s now planning to start up a private track and field club that will be available to anyone and everyone during the summer and fall. 

In New Hampshire, Gov Chris Sununu’s emergency order requires people over the age of five to wear masks in all public spaces, indoors and outdoors, if they are unable to maintain 6 feet of distance from people outside their households.

The order took effect on November 20, 2020, and has been extended through at least April 15, 2021. 

New Hampshire announced 402 new cases of COVID on Tuesday. 

According to the state’s health department, there were an average of 403 cases per day over the most recent seven-day period.