A Vermont high school got banned from participating in state athletics after its girls’ basketball team refused to play against a team with a “transgender” player.
Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a game against Long Trail in the division playoffs because it believed that playing a team with a biological male “is unfair” and “dangerous.”
“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,” Officials told Valley News.
“Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general,” they added.
The Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA), which oversees all high school athletics in the state, ruled that the Christian school violated its policies on “commitment to racial, gender-fair, and disability awareness” and on “gender identity.”
It made an “immediate determination” that the religious school and its 94 students would be ineligible for state athletics and tournaments.
“The VPA again reiterates its ongoing support of transgender student-athletes as not only a part of building an inclusive community for each student to grow and thrive, but also as a clear expectation by Vermont state law(s) in the Agency of Education Best Practices, and in VPA Policy regarding transgender student-athletes,” the association stated.
Head of Mid Vermont Christian School, Vicky Fogg, told the New York Post that her school was “disappointed” with the ruling and planned to appeal.
“Canceling our membership is not a solution and does nothing to deal with the very real issue of safety and fairness facing women’s sports in our beloved state,” Fogg stated.
“We urge the VPA to reconsider its policies, and balance the rights of every athlete in the state,” she added.
Standing w @MidVermontCS Mid Vermont Christian School girls basketball team for refusing to play in a tournament w opposing biological male player on American Agenda w hosts @KatrinaSzish @BobSellersTV & panelist @whitleyjyates @NEWSMAX TV pic.twitter.com/U0W5M3qhHs
— Deneen Borelli (@deneenborelli) February 28, 2023
Eighteen U.S. states have passed laws prohibiting “transgender” athletes from competing in female sports, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
In 2023, West Virginia asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to enforce a state law that prohibits “transgender women” and girls from participating in public school sports.
In 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s sports.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a law in 2021: restricting “transgender” students from participating in school sports based on their “gender identity.”
Twelve-time NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, who competed against “transgender” swimmer Lia Thomas, praised Republicans for signing legislation that prevents males from competing against women.
“If you believe in science, you know there is man and woman. To deny that is to deny science, it’s to deny logic, it’s to deny reason and, quite frankly, common sense,” Gaines told Fox News.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Gaines said she believed “the pendulum has swung too far.”
“There’s this systemic eradication of women that is being attempted by the Left, and it’s more than sports,” she said. “They’re changing definitions. They’re changing terms that are specific to women. … These large organizations and large companies, these woke companies, continually make the claims that men make the best women.”
Vermont is only one of 10 states in the U.S. where its athletic association is “friendly” towards including “transgender” students from competing in school sports.
