After Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a game in the girls state basketball tournament, because an opponent's player includes a biological male, Mid Vermont was banned immediately and indefinitely from participating in future games and tournaments.
That decision came from the Vermont Principals’ Association, the governing body for high school sports, which voted 15-0 to punish Mid Vermont for violating a policy protecting “gender identity,” according to the Valley News newspaper.
The news story did not identify the male student, or his age or class, but only referred to a “transgender female player” who plays for the Long Trail Mountain Lions.
Reacting to the forfeited game and punishment, American Family Radio host Jenna Ellis told her audience the incident shows why many state legislatures are taking action to protect girls and women in sports. Those new laws, she said, protect girls’ privacy and ensure their safety.
“This is exactly why preserving women's sports to just actual women is so important,” she said, “because a lot of these men who are participating in women's sports are taking their scholarships.”
In a statement to Valley News, a Mid Vermont administrator said the school took action because “we believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.”
“If you don’t want to follow VPA rules, that’s fine,” Jay Nichols, executive director of the sports association, told Valley News. “But then you’re just not a VPA member. It’s fairly simple.”
