A private Christian high school in Merced pulled its girls’ volleyball team from a state playoff game against a team that included a transgender player, citing the decision as “the word of God” and the belief that gender cannot be changed. School officials said.
Stoneridge Christian High School forfeited Saturday night’s California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) NorCalifornia Division VI volleyball game against Bay Area private school San Francisco Waldorf. Neither school responded to requests for comment.
Stoneridge Christian Dean Julie Fagandes sent a message to families last week, saying that while this was a “heartbreaking end” to the team’s season, the school’s priorities were “taking care of the health and safety of our players.” He said it was about upholding religious principles.
“At SRC, we believe that God’s Word is authoritative and infallible. It is true. And as the book of Genesis makes clear, God amazingly and immutably Created as male or female,” she wrote. “We do not believe that gender is changeable, and we will not participate in events that send a different message.”
CIF spokeswoman Rebecca Brulag said Stoneridge Christian was informed that teams withdrawing from the CIF playoffs would be subject to sanctions at the section and state level. He said in a statement that no decisions have been made so far regarding possible sanctions.
Blutlag also said that both the California Education Act and CIF’s bylaws require that all students, regardless of the gender on their student record, should have the opportunity to participate in athletic activities in a manner consistent with their gender identity. He pointed out that it stipulates that
The school’s decision to cancel the game sparked a heated national and international debate over the status of transgender athletes in athletics.
“Transgender athletes want to participate in school sports for the same reasons as everyone else: to find a sense of belonging and social engagement, be part of a team, increase their fitness, and challenge themselves. ” said Amanda Goad. Audrey Yilmas, director of the ACLU of Southern California’s LGBTQ, Gender, and Reproductive Justice Project, said in a statement about the school’s decision.
“Excluding them from sports sends a terrible message that they don’t deserve to be treated the same as their cisgender teammates and classmates,” she says.
Riley Gaines, a former college swimmer and activist who opposes the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports, shared a photo of the Stoneridge Christian women’s volleyball team on Please show us the love you deserve!”
Opponents of transgender athletes’ participation argue that it is unfair and potentially unsafe for people born with male characteristics to compete against athletes designated female at birth. . For example, President-elect Trump has repeatedly promised to “keep men out of women’s sports.”
Tony Huang, executive director of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality California, criticized Stoneridge Christian for not allowing its volleyball team to play transgender players.
“It is unfortunate that this school denies its students the opportunity to grow and learn together, and instead embraces the divisive and hateful rhetoric of extremists like Donald Trump,” Huang said in a statement. Ta.
More than 20 states have laws that prohibit transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity. Although California is not among them, the issue remains controversial among residents of the Golden State.
For example, San Jose State University is currently being sued for allowing a transgender athlete to play on its women’s volleyball team.
The complaint, brought by SJSU volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser and 10 players from other schools, alleges Title IX rights are violated by allowing transgender athletes to play on women’s sports teams. It is claimed that Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational settings.
Four schools withdrew from games against SJSU’s volleyball team in protest, and President Trump directly criticized the school for including a transgender player on its team.
Last spring, two transgender athletes withdrew from the state high school track and field finals after receiving intense online and in-person criticism for participating in girls’ track events.
At the time, CIF released a statement saying that the federation “determined that due to the actions of others, it was necessary to withdraw from the state track and field championships out of concern for the athletes. I’m disappointed.” For the happiness of our students. ”
