Girls Basketball Team Banned After Refusing To Play Against Biological Male

A Christian school forfeited a girls' basketball game in the state playoffs because their opponent had a high school boy on the squad. Now the Vermont Principals’ Association has banned the Christian school from future tournaments.

The Vermont Principals' Association (VPA), which controls high school sports in the state, sent the Christian school a letter, which stated: "On March 13, 2023 VPA Executive Council met and determined that Mid-Vermont Christian's forfeit (2/20/23) and corresponding rationale as shared in the Valley News of 2/25/23, violates VPA Policies which are aligned with 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. Thus, Mid-Vermont Christian school is ineligible to participate in VPA activities going forward."

VPA executive director Jay Nichols revealed the VPA board voted unanimously, 15-0, to ban Mid Vermont Christian School.

However, many commentators are applauding the school's decision, pointing to the physical dangers that male athletes pose to female athletes as well as the infringement on fair play that is created by allowing males to compete against females.

"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," said Vicky Fogg, who serves as Head of School at Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) in White River Junction. "Allowing biological males to participate in women's sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women's sports in general."

A number of incidents involving the physical injury of female athletes at the hands of male athletes who identify as transgender women have occurred in recent years.

In October of last year, footage was released of an incident during a high school girls' volleyball match in North Carolina in which a female player suffered a serious head injury resulting from a biological male on the opposing team spiking the ball directly into the female player's face. The female player's county school board subsequently voted to forfeit all future girls volleyball games against Highlands School, the team with the biological male.

In April of last year, a male rugby player identifying as a female directly injured three female players from the opposing team during a high school match in Guam.

Former UFC fighter Fallon Fox, who was born a male but was allowed to fight in the female division after identifying as a woman, severely injured several female fighters over the course of his career, including breaking the skull of Tamikka Brents during a match. Brents, who broke seven orbital bones and suffered a concussion at the hands of Fox, later recounted, "I've fought a lot of women and have never felt the strength that I felt in a fight as I did that night. ... I've never felt so overpowered ever in my life and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right."

Since 2003, biological men have won at least 30 women's sports titles.

Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement at Family Research Council, praised Mid Vermont Christian School for forfeiting the game last week.

"The school did the right thing," he told The Washington Stand. "By participating in a game, you are implying that the game is being conducted fairly. But in this case, it certainly would not have been. Males are genetically advantaged when it comes to athletic participation, which is why we created separate sports leagues in the first place. Though it's unfortunate for the athletes that their opportunity to compete for a state championship was taken away from them, the only way to defeat the madness of gender ideology is not to cooperate with it. Hopefully other schools will do the same."

Backholm continued, "Probably the best way to solve this is to stop calling them 'Boys' and 'Girls' sports and instead call them 'XX' and 'XY' sports. The fact that someone's feelings about themselves is seen as more important than their inherent biological advantages or disadvantages is silly."

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for Education Studies at FRC, expressed additional support for MVCS's decision while also pointing to potential physical dangers posed by allowing biological males to compete in women's sports.

"This situation is not just unfair for the girls competing, it's unsafe," she told The Washington Stand. "Men and boys are physically stronger than women and girls. That's why we have sex-separated sports. Men have an advantage physically and women face additional risk of injury by competing against men."

"It is to the great credit of this team, its coaches, its players, and their parents that they are willing to make this stand for the truth of biological sex," Kilgannon added. "At this level of competition, much time, talent, and treasure has been invested. 

Practical pressures to play on are high. So we applaud this effort to honor the dignity of all the players by not participating in a girls sporting event that is not reserved for girls and girls alone. We regret that this example is so necessary and hope that it serves to expose the problem of 'gender' for women and girls."

Originally published at The Washington Stand - reposted with permission.