Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Riverside, Calif., is facing controversy over a transgender athlete on the cross country team and the team's “Save Women's Sports” T-shirt, which alleges the school administrator compared it to a swastika. We talked about a lawsuit filed by two female students. .
The school has faced criticism both locally from students and nationally from female athlete activists including Riley Gaines and Jennifer Say.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) said it allowed transgender athletes to compete on the team because it needed to comply with California law. The school said anyone who is upset about this should direct their anger toward state and federal lawmakers.
“As these issues play out in the courts and in the media, opposition and protest should be directed to those in positions to influence these laws and policies, including officials in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento,” the statement said. said.
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The statement also cited language in the California Education Act, California Statutes and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) bylaws that outline protections for transgender athletes in public schools.
“It is important to remember that RUSD is obligated to follow California law, which states that students are not allowed to participate in athletic teams or competitions according to their gender identity, regardless of their listed gender. “request to be allowed to participate in single-sex school programs and activities'' on the student's record,'' the statement said.
“While these rules were not created by RUSD, the district is committed to complying with the law and CIF regulations. California law prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of sex, gender identity, or gender expression. The protections we provide to all students are not only in compliance with the law, but also in line with our core values such as fairness and well-being. This is consistent with the view. ”
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RUSD's statement did not address the controversy surrounding the “Save Women's Sports” T-shirts.
California enacted a state law in 2014 that protects transgender athletes in women's sports. That same year, AB 1266 went into effect, giving California students at the academic and college levels “the right to participate in single-sex school programs and activities.” Regardless of the gender listed on a student's record, the student must participate in athletic teams and competitions and use facilities appropriate to the student's gender identity. ”
Martin Luther King High School is also not the first public institution to blame a Democratic-enacted state law for a controversial dispute with student-athletes over sharing space with transgender athletes.
The University of Nevada, Reno dealt with a dispute with its female volleyball players in October when officials initially denied the players' request to withdraw from a game against a team that included a transgender player.
The players publicly announced their intention to withdraw from the game and held a press conference, accusing the university of trying to pressure the players to play. Team captain Thea Lilly claimed that athletic department officials told her players they “didn't understand the science” about confronting transgender athletes.
The university issued a statement to Fox News Digital outlining that it cannot honor the players' wishes to forfeit the game without violating Nevada law. When Nevada voted to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment in 2022, the state constitution was amended to add gender identity to the list of protected rights.
Nevada Sen. Pat Spearman, D-North Las Vegas, who co-sponsored the bill to get it on the ballot, said the law helps transgender people maintain their identities. Ta.
“As a state university, disqualification on grounds related to gender identity or expression is itself discrimination and may violate the Nevada Constitution,” the university added in a statement.
The university had to cancel the game earlier than scheduled because it did not have enough players.
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California and Nevada are not the only states that have faced controversy over the past year over the unwillingness of female public school students to compete against transgender opponents.
Even in states that have enacted laws restricting transgender participation, there have been cases where rulings by liberal judges have caused this to happen. New Hampshire and Virginia, which have such laws in place, are affected in 2024.
Judge Randia McCafferty of New Hampshire and Judge M. Hannah Lauck of Virginia, both appointed during the Obama administration, issued rulings this year allowing biological males to play on high school girls' soccer and tennis teams, respectively. I put it down. McCafferty issued an order allowing two transgender athletes to compete in New Hampshire, while Lauck issued a ruling in Virginia allowing an 11-year-old transgender tennis player to compete against girls of the same age. did.
In April, the Biden administration announced a comprehensive rule clarifying that Title IX's prohibition on “sex” discrimination in schools includes discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and “pregnancy or related conditions.” The government argued that the regulation did not address athletic eligibility. However, multiple experts provided evidence to Fox News Digital in June that it will ultimately bring more biological males into women's sports.
Friday's RUSD message provided an opportunity to remind the public that the district is at the mercy of the Democratic establishment on this issue.
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Still, students fought back.
California Family Council Outreach Director Sophia Rowley reveals that since the controversy began, more than 150 students have attended school wearing T-shirts and refusing to comply with the new dress code. The student claimed to have been forced to spend hours in the principal's office. Rowley said these students plan to continue doing this regularly despite the school's new rules.
“I received those numbers directly from the parents involved,” Rowley said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “Then we received information on social media that students were planning to continue this every Wednesday.”
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