Trans student banned from Florida women's volleyball team, high school fined $16,000

Florida's Monarch High School has been placed on probation and heavily fined for allowing a transgender student to play on the girls' volleyball team in violation of state law.

(Video credit: WPLG Local 10)

The daily mail reported that the Florida High School Athletic Association ruled that the student would be banned from all high school sports after illegally competing on the team, according to a three-page letter sent to the interim principal.

Monarch High School was fined $16,500 for the violation and Principal James Cecil, Assistant Principal Kenneth May, Athletic Director Dione Hester and Volleyball Coach Jessica Norton were placed on leave and reassigned. That's $500 for each of the 33 games the transgender student played in. The principal and athletic director must attend compliance seminars during the upcoming school year on the subject. Norton is later revealed to be the transgender student's mother.

Former volleyball coach Alex Burgess claims he didn't know the sophomore was born male and only found out in November that it was so.

“I had no idea,” he insisted according to the Daily Mail. “I guess there were some people who already knew, but I guess whoever came in to investigate her pointed the finger.”

As punishment, the association officially reprimands Monarch High School with a letter that becomes “a permanent part of the school's membership record.”

— Chris Nelson (@ReOpenChris) December 12, 2023

Governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Law of equity in women's sports” For two years, it has forced athletes to participate in teams that align with their gender assigned at birth.

“In Florida, girls will play girls' sports and boys will play boys' sports,” DeSantis proclaimed when he signed the bill into law. “We're going to make sure that's the reality.”

Thanks to @GovRonDeSantisFlorida passed legislation to protect girls' sports and we will not tolerate any school violating this law.

We applaud the swift action you have taken @FHSAA to ensure that there are serious consequences for this illegal behavior…

– Manny Diaz Jr. (@CommMannyDiazJr) December 12, 2023

The transgender student is officially banned from playing on sports teams until November 20, 2024, which is one year after the violation was discovered according to the Daily Mail. The Broward School District is investigating the student's involvement on the sports team.

“The district has received the letter from the Florida High School Athletic Association regarding the recent incident at Monarch High School. The district's investigation into the matter remains ongoing at this time,” the spokesperson said of the district, John Sullivan. South Florida Sun-Sentinel in an interview

The incident came to light after someone tipped off local officials that a biological male had been allowed to compete on the volleyball team.

The student started taking hormone blockers at 11 years old and spent two years on the team. She has identified as female since she was three years old.

(Video credit: CBS News)

Volleyball coach Jessica Norton says her son's ban will put him in danger.

“There is a long history in this country of removing people against their will – forced removals, especially of a child, are a direct attempt to endanger the person being removed,” the statement said from Norton. “We kindly ask everyone to respect our family's privacy and give them the space we need to talk about our experience on our own terms and timeline.”

“Now are we punishing student-athletes and wasting money on fines that could be used to support our schools and our students?” Jennifer Solomon of Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy group, spoke out about the ruling.

Passing now: @EqualityFlorida holding a press conference following a $16,500 fine against Monarch High School in Broward County for violating state law by allowing a transgender girl to play on the girls' volleyball team @nbc6 #florida pic.twitter.com/RgMZcHZiug

— Lorena Inclan (@LorenaInclanTV) December 12, 2023

“Banning Transgender Sports in Florida it did not arise from genuine concern for school athletics — was part of a cynical political strategy to dehumanize and exploit marginalized youth,” Carlos Guillermo Smith, senior policy advisor for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Florida, said in a statement. Politician.

Hundreds of students staged two walkouts at the high school, protesting the personnel changes. They took to the football field, making signs in support of the student while chanting “trans lives matter,” according to the Daily Mail.

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton is a constitutional conservative who researches and writes extensively on politics and current affairs.

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