Vermont Christian School Forfeits Basketball Tournament To Protest Trans Athlete On Opposing Team
Kate Anderson on February 27, 2023
A Christian high school forfeited a spot in a basketball tournament out of concerns of “fairness” by forcing their female students to compete against another school’s transgender athlete, according to National Review.
Schools across the country have been grappling with conflicting viewpoints on allowing trans athletes to compete in sports and several female athletes recently came out in support of a bill that would prohibit men from competing in women’s sports. Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) announced Monday that they would not be participating in Tuesday’s game against Long Trail School (LTS) because they would not force their female athletes to play against men, the National Review reported.
MVCS Head of School Vicky Fogg told The National Desk that preserving “fairness” was important in sports and compelling high school girls to play against high school boys would jeopardize that.
“We withdrew from the tournament because we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” Fogg said. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”
Vermont was one of the first states to prohibit discrimination against sexual orientation in 1992 and later gender identity in 2007, according to GLAD, a LGBTQ public policy and litigation firm.
Vermont Agency of Education’s “Continuing Best Practices for Schools Regarding Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Student” policy states that transgender students must be given “the same opportunities to participate in physical education.”
“Transgender and gender nonconforming students are to be provided the same opportunities to participate in physical education as are all other students,” the policy states. “Generally, students should be permitted to participate in physical education and sports in accordance with the student’s gender identity. Participation in competitive athletic activities and sports will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.”
MVCS and LTS did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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