A private religious school is suing the state of Vermont after being banned from taking part in all athletics run by the state because it forfeited a game against an opponent with a transgender athlete, WCAX reported on Wednesday.
Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a girls basketball game in February, with Head of School Vicky Fogg explaining that she didn't believe playing against a "biological male" was "fair."
The Vermont Principals' Association (VPA) ruled that the school violated its policies, which align with state law, that there be a commitment to racial, gender-fair and disability awareness, and the policy of gender identity, according to WCAX.
The school's attorneys countered by saying that VPA is requiring "private, religious schools like Mid Vermont Christian to adopt the state's view on human sexuality and gender … [violating] the First Amendment rights of Mid Vermont Christian, its students, and families."
Mid Vermont said the VPA can't take such action due to the school's "religious beliefs," stating that "the state is entitled to its own views, but it is not entitled, nor is it constitutional, to force private, religious schools across the state to follow that orthodoxy as a condition to participating in Vermont's tuitions program and the state's athletic association."
The VPA has since ousted Mid Vermont from the association, with VPA executive director Jay Nichols saying: "If you don't want to follow VPA rules, that's fine. But then you're just not a VPA member," VTDigger reported.
Transgender students have been banned from taking part in school sports by 23 state legislatures, according to Movement Advancement Project.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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