When a Christian school in Vermont used a girls basketball game to make a political point about trans inclusion, the state’s sports body stood by its preexisting policy.
Last week, Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a tournament game, because its opponent, Long Trail School, had an out transgender player, reports the Brattleboro Informer.
MVCS didn’t alert the Vermont Principal’s Association, the governing body, beforehand. Instead, it just issued a statement from head of school Vicky Fog.
“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,” it reads. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”
Surely, MVCS was aware of VPA’s rules prior to last week. An official from the VPA says there’s been an inclusive policy in place since early 2021.
State law prohibits discrimination against out transgender athletes.
“We already had the policy in place,” said the official. “The policy is not new, it’s not reactionary. It’s been out there for a while. People are aware of it.”
Last month, the VPA reiterated its commitment to inclusion in response to an incident at a high school involving a trans student’s use of the locker room.
It’s nice to see a sports body stick to its guidelines, rather than capitulate to stunts.
