A Christian school in Vermont forfeited a girls basketball match and withdrew from the state championship tournament because a player on the opposing team was a transgender student-athlete.
Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) was set to play the Long Tail Mountain Lions last Tuesday before the former decided not to compete based on concerns for player safety and fairness.
“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. Allowing biological males to participate in women's sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women's sports in general,” a senior administrator at MVCS told Fox News Digital in a statement.
State law permits transgender females to play in girls sporting leagues and prohibits discrimination based upon gender identity.
“Transgender and gender nonconforming students are to be provided the same opportunities to participate in physical education as are all other students,” the Vermont Agency of Education’s best practices explains. “Participation in competitive athletic activities and sports will be resolved on a case-by-case basis.”
Vermont’s policy on transgender athletes has led to several controversies in recent months.
In October 2022, a middle school girls soccer coach from Randolph Union High School was suspended after he reportedly “misgendered” a trans student while defending his daughter who was uncomfortable with the individual being in the girls locker room. That same month, administrators at the school banned members of the girls volleyball team after objecting to sharing it with a biological male student.
“I feel like for stating my opinion – that I don't want a biological man changing with – that I should not have harassment charges or bullying charges. They should all be dropped,” one concerned student told Fox News.
"I have received calls (from schools) asking for best practices and how to go forward knowing they were going to play a team with a transgender female on it," Lauren Thomas, the assistant executive director told a local paper. "We just supported our stance and our best practices through our inclusivity statement."
The Mountain Lions completed their 20-game schedule without any issues up until this point.
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