A Vermont state senator is defending her state’s move to ban a Christian high school from all state sports competitions because she says the school’s “dangerous” ideals are “discriminating” against transgender kids.
Vermont Democratic State Senator Rebecca White told CNN on Monday. that the ban is not going “too far” but is just the right solution.
“I don’t think it’s a bridge too far,” White said. “The athletes that we’re talking about are unlikely to go on to elite professional athletics, but that concept of discriminating against another person, it causes long-term outcomes for trans youth because they’re hearing rhetoric that tells them they are not valuable, that they’re dangerous.”
White added that she is disappointed in the “pushback” some people are engaging in against the state’s extremely radical progressive trans policies.
“We’re an inclusive state, we’re a welcoming state,” White exclaimed. “So, it doesn’t surprise me that we’ve had a situation where folks are pushing back against some of that inclusive work that we’ve done. Because it is innovative, it is bold and it’s important.”
This month, the state banned Mid Vermont Christian School from competing in state-sponsored sports leagues after it was decided that the school violated policies related to a “commitment to racial, gender-fair, and disability awareness” and “gender identity” mandated by state education policies.
Vermont high school girls' basketball team "forfeits playoff game rather than compete against team with transgender player"
"We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players"https://t.co/dB2ihjKsut
— boysvswomen.com (@boysvswomen) February 24, 2023
The ban was handed down after Mid Vermont Christian School refused to play a school that allowed a boy claiming to be a girl into the Division IV state tournament. As a result, Mid Vermont forfeited the game instead of playing Long Trail high school late in Feb.
Mid Vermont withdrew from the tournament, saying that allowing a boy to play as a girl “jeopardizes” the safety of female athletes.
“We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” school chief Vicky Fogg wrote in an email to the Valley News. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”
Anticipating the issue, the school warned the state last year that it had issues with transgender players. The school sent a letter to state officials stating that it could not comply with all the extreme, left-wing requirements in state law and remain true to its religious beliefs.
DORSET — Long Trail’s Rose Johnson controlled the opening tip of Tuesday night’s girls basketball game against Mill River and deflected it to a teammate who immediately found Molly Luikart for a layup on the left side of the basket. The opening sequ… https://t.co/ceAgm5OzVj
— Bennington Banner (@banner_news) February 1, 2023
“As a religious organization, the school has a statutory and constitutional right to make decisions based on its religious beliefs, including hiring and disciplining employees, associating with others, and in its admissions, conduct and operations policies and procedures,” head of school Fogg wrote.
“By signing this form, the Mid Vermont Christian School does not waive any such rights,” she wrote.
Fogg added that some of the state’s rules conflict with the school’s religious tenets, “including on marriage and sexuality,” and therefore, “the school has not included that language in its handbook or online, nor can it affirm that particular aspect of the Vermont Public Accommodations Act.”
Regardless of the school’s position on the matter, the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) ruled that the Christian school violated state rules and kicked them out of all state sports leagues.
“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 sports authority said in a statement.
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