California's Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) held a board meeting Thursday amid controversy over a transgender cross country runner at Martin Luther King High School and the reprimand of a student who protested the athlete's participation.
The board will take up allegations in a recent lawsuit in which school administrators compared “Save Girls' Sports” T-shirts to swastikas.
Protesters gathered outside the RUSD district office to advocate for and against transgender inclusion.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Video footage of the rally provided by parents to Sophia Rowley, director of California Family Support Centers, showed the crowd holding transgender pride flags and wearing matching colored shirts.
Lowry told FOX News Digital that there were some people outside the venue wearing “Save Girls' Sports” T-shirts, but they outnumbered the transgender advocates.
The Family Council of California, in conjunction with the religious rights law firm Advocates for Faith and Freedom, held a press conference outside the district offices ahead of the board meeting to address the ongoing controversy.
Ryan Starks, the father of a girl named Taylor at the school who is involved in the lawsuit against the school, said at a news conference. The lawsuit alleges that Taylor lost his spot on the national team to a transgender athlete, and that a T-shirt designed to express opposition to Taylor featured a swastika.
“It's really heartbreaking to see what my daughter went through this season,” Starks said.
Father of female runner forced to compete with trans athlete expresses anger over situation: 'I can't even digest'
“This is not fair. This is completely unfair. It breaks my heart as a father to see my daughter go through this, to be stripped naked, to come to me and just be held. I can't do anything.'' So that's really heartbreaking. ”
Julian Fleischer, an attorney representing Taylor in the case, previously told Fox News Digital that the school administrator's comments were “incredibly dangerous.”
“If there are any adults who would compare the message 'Save Women's Sports', which promotes equality, fairness and common sense, to a swastika representing the genocide of millions of Jews, in reality no one would. I don’t know how you’re going to react to that,” Fleischer said.
Hundreds of students at Martin Luther King High School began wearing the T-shirts every Wednesday. Schools responded by enacting dress codes, which resulted in many students being detained. But that didn't stop them. The students continued to wear the shirts every week.
The school recently stopped enforcing a shirt dress code.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sources told Fox News that students from nearby Arlington High School, Riverside Technical High School and Romona High School have also been seen wearing them.
In a statement previously provided to Fox News Digital, RUSD said it allowed transgender athletes to compete on the team because it needed to comply with California law.
Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, wear T-shirts that say “Save Girls' Sports” to protest transgender athletes on the cross country team. (Courtesy of Sophia Rowley)
“It is important to remember that RUSD is obligated to follow California law, which states that students, regardless of their gender, may not be allowed to participate in single-sex schools, including athletic teams and competitions consistent with their gender identity. “The student is required to be permitted to participate in programs and activities that are listed on the student's record,” the statement said.
“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.”
California has enacted a law protecting transgender athletes in women's sports since 2014. That same year, AB 1266 went into effect, giving California's academic and college-level students “the right to participate in single-sex school programs and activities (such as sports teams and sports teams).” Competing in competitions and using facilities consistent with the student's gender identity, regardless of the gender listed on the student's record. ”
Follow sports coverage on Fox News Digital on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
