Trans student athlete faces backlash for playing on girls’ volleyball team
A transgender student athlete in Florida has been facing a backlash for playing on the girls’ volleyball team at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. The student, who has not been publicly identified, was reportedly outed by school officials amid an investigation into allegations of violating a state law that bans trans girls and women from competing on female sports teams.
The student’s mother, who also asked to remain anonymous, told NBC News that her daughter had been playing volleyball since she was in sixth grade and had always been accepted by her teammates and coaches. She said her daughter had been living as a girl for two years and had been undergoing hormone therapy for one year. She also said her daughter had a valid birth certificate that listed her gender as female.
However, the mother said that everything changed when a parent of another player complained to the school district about her daughter’s participation on the team. She said that the school officials then revealed her daughter’s trans identity to the parent, who then spread the information to other parents and students.
The mother said that her daughter was devastated by the outing and felt betrayed by the school officials. She said that her daughter had been harassed and bullied online and in person by some of her classmates and opponents. She also said that her daughter had been excluded from team activities and had been benched during games.
School officials reassigned pending investigation
The Broward County Public Schools confirmed that the principal of Monarch High School, James Cecil, and four other staff members were reassigned to non-school sites pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of improper student participation in sports. The district did not specify if the investigation was related to the trans student athlete, but said that it would follow state law and take appropriate action based on the findings.
The district’s superintendent, Peter Licata, said during a news conference on Tuesday that there would be “new processes” for athlete eligibility going forward. He said that the district would have an extra level of investigation on making sure everyone is eligible for the sport they are playing, in terms of grade level, grades, and other factors.
The reassignment of the school officials sparked a protest by hundreds of students at Monarch High School on Tuesday. The students walked out of class and gathered on the school’s football field, holding signs in favor of trans rights and chanting “trans lives matter.” Some of the students said that they supported the trans student athlete and that they wanted the school officials to be reinstated.
Florida law bans trans girls and women from female sports teams
The controversy at Monarch High School comes amid a nationwide debate over the inclusion of trans athletes in school sports. In 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president as a Republican, signed a law that bars trans girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes identified as girls at birth. The law also allows any student to challenge another student’s gender identity and require them to undergo a genital examination or genetic testing to prove their sex.
The law, which is one of more than 20 similar laws enacted or proposed in other states, has been challenged in court by civil rights groups and trans advocates, who argue that it violates the constitutional rights and dignity of trans students. They also claim that the law is based on unfounded stereotypes and fears about trans athletes having an unfair advantage over cisgender athletes.
The trans student athlete at Monarch High School and her parents had previously filed a lawsuit against the school district, seeking to overturn the law and allow her to play on the girls’ volleyball team. However, a federal judge ruled against them earlier this month, saying that the law was rationally related to the state’s interest in maintaining fair and orderly athletic competitions.
The mother of the trans student athlete said that she and her daughter would continue to fight for her right to play the sport she loves. She said that her daughter was not a threat to anyone and that she just wanted to be treated like any other girl.
