Vermont Christian school forfeits basketball tournament to avoid playing against transgender opponent

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) -The Mid Vermont Christian School in Vermont has forfeited a state girls basketball tournament so as not to play against a biologically male transgender student-athlete on the opposing team, Valley News reports. Under Vermont law, transgender girls who remain biologically male are allowed to play on female sports teams.

The No. 12 seed Eagles girls basketball team from MVCS withdrew from the Vermont Division IV state tournament on Tuesday last week because the No. 5 seed Long Trail team has a biologically male transgender player, Valley News said. The Eagles forfeited their game to the Mountain Lions.

“We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” MVCS head of school Vicky Fogg said in a statement to Valley News on Wednesday last week. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”

Lauren Thomas, the assistant executive director for the Vermont Principals’ Association, told Valley News that MVCS had written to say their team would be forfeiting the tournament. “I have received calls (from schools) asking for best practices and how to go forward knowing they were going to play a team with a transgender female on it,” Thomas said. “We just supported our stance and our best practices through our inclusivity statement.”

Earlier this year MVCS applied for private tuition funding from the Vermont Agency of Education, but stipulated: “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…the Mid Vermont Christian School does not waive any such rights.”

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