A Vermont religious school that withdrew its girls’ basketball team from a playoff game because a transgender student was on the roster of the opposing team is now banned from future tournaments.
The Vermont Principals’ Association announced Monday that Mid Vermont Christian School’s decision to forfeit its Feb. 21 game because it believed a trans player “jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players” makes it “ineligible” to play in any of its tournaments — for any sport — going forward.
The VPA is the governing body for Vermont school sports and activities for member schools.
“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 governing body said in a statement.
MVCS never gave the VPA a reason for pulling out of the game, but the rationale was posted four days later by a New Hampshire outlet, Valley News.
“We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” MVCS head of school Vicky Fogg wrote to the outlet, the Bennington Banner reported. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”
The VPA’s letter touched on Fogg’s justification in its decision to boot the religious school for violating VPA policies and Vermont state law.
“Specifically, the school’s actions do not meet the expectations of the VPA’s 1st and 2nd policy, Commitment to Racial, Gender-Fair, and Disability Awareness and Policy of Gender Identity, respectively,” the letter stated.
Yet the Vermont Agency of Education appears to allow exceptions.
“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,” the department’s guidelines read, Fox News reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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