When parents and players of the Bishop Brady High School soccer team began organizing to oppose a game against a team with a biological male on the roster, they found they faced an opponent off the field as well.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester.
Parents and players began expressing concern about playing against Kearsarge High School and its goalie Maelle Jacques, a male athlete who won the state girls high jump earlier this year.
Word that parents or students might take action prompted Bishop Peter Libasci to huddle with his legal team to craft a statement opposed to a boycott, according to information obtained by NHJournal.
Dave Thibault, Superintendent of Schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, relayed the message, telling the girls they ought to play at Kearsarge out of a sense of Christian charity.
“We don’t believe it’s right to just forfeit a game when playing a team with a transgender athlete because we have an issue that is not being handled properly by another party,” Thibault wrote.
But the girl’s soccer game against Kearsarge High School was canceled after several team members refused to play. When asked about the incident, Tara Bishop, director of communications for the Diocese, attempted to suggest there was no boycott.
“There simply weren’t enough players available for this game,” Bishop said.
And it’s not just the Maelle Jacques’ presence that had parents worried. Jacques’ father, Marc Jaques, is a regular at his child’s games. He’s also a convicted sex offender.
Marc Jacques attending the Hopkinton versus Kearsarge girls high school girls soccer game on October 7, 2024 at Hopkinton High School.
Marc Jaques was convicted last month on federal charges of distributing child sex abuse material. According to court records, Marc Jaques was found in possession of at least 200 child sex abuse images and video files, many of which he uploaded to the social media platform, Kik.
Marc Jaques had been free pending his report date to prison, most likely in December, when he will begin a five-year sentence. In the meantime, he’d been seen at the stands for Kearsarge girl’s soccer games.
To make matters worse for worried parents, federal law enforcement arrested Marc Jaques on Friday, however, on an alleged bail violation. He’s due Monday in the United States District Court in Concord for a bail revocation hearing.
While Thibault’s statement came before he was reportedly made aware of Bishop Brady parents’ concerns about Marc Jaques, his criminal case has been a matter of public record for months.
Neither Bishop Brady Principal Andrea Elliot nor Athletic Director Annie Mattarazzo responded to requests for comment on Friday.
Elliot did try to allay concerns about Marc Jaques’ presence at the game, however. In an email to parents, Elliot said Kearsarge would have a police presence at the game, and at least three school administrators would be on hand as well. Further, according to Elliot’s email, Marc Jaques would not be permitted on the sideline near the benches. He’s supposed to watch the games from his car in the parking lot, according to Elliot.
However, photos provided to NHJournal show Marc Jaques standing behind the benches and near the sideline during an Oct. 7 game played at Hopkinton High School.
Marc Jacques attending the Kearsarge v Hopkinton girls soccer game.
Critics of male athletes playing on girls’ sports teams note the irony of the current situation in New Hampshire. While Marc Jacques is allowed seemingly free range at the games pending the start of his prison sentence, Kyle Feller, the father of a Bow High School girl’s soccer player, had to get a federal court order to be able to attend his daughter’s games. Feller’s crime was taking part in a silent protest against biological males in girl’s sports.
Thibualt urged the Bishop Brady girls and their families not to express their views.
“Parents and fans should not protest, even silently, but attend games in goodwill also seeing the deep, inherent dignity of each and every player,” Thibault wrote.
