Top officials at a Florida high school, including the principal, have been reassigned as the district investigates whether they allowed a transgender athlete to play on the school’s girls’ volleyball team — in violation of Florida law.
Monarch High School principal James Cecil, assistant principal Kenneth May, athletic director Dione Hester, and volleyball coach Jessica Norton were transferred to a “non-school site” on Monday, according to 7 News Miami.
Additionally, Alex Burgess, the school’s interim athletic trainer, has been notified that his services are on hold until further notice.
The investigation was launched to determine whether biological men, who are now or have transitioned to women, are allowed to play for the team, sources told the outlet.
Monarch High School Principal James Cecil has been reassigned from his position while the school board investigates the matter. James Cecil / Linkedin Assistant Principal Kenneth May has also been transferred to a “non-school” site while the investigation is ongoing. Monarch High Broward County Public School
“The principal of Monarch High School and several staff members have been reassigned to a non-school site pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of inappropriate student participation in sports,” Broward County School District spokesman John Sullivan wrote in a statement.
“Although we cannot comment further, we will continue to follow state law and take appropriate action based on the results of the investigation,” he added.
Sullivan said the district is committed to providing its students with a “safe and inclusive learning environment.”
Broward County School District board member Torey Alston said the district will act according to Florida law.
Teacher and athletic director Dione Hester has also been removed from her current role during the Investigation. Dione Hester / Linkedin
“The investigation will follow the facts and if it is revealed that state law is in question, I can tell you, we will follow state law,” Alston said.
In June 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law SB 1028 — also known as the “Women’s Sports Fairness Act” — which bars biological males from participating in women’s sports.
After the investigation, an unidentified family friend told CBS Miami that the transgender athlete in question had not yet “come out” as transgender and blamed officials for letting the high school student go.
The investigation will determine whether biological boys, who are now or have transitioned to girls, are allowed to play for the school’s team. King Volleyball / Instagram
The handling of this “highly sensitive” situation left Scott Galvin, executive director of Safe Schools South Florida, wanting answers.
“First of all, it’s horrible on a human level that a school would expel someone on an issue like this that is obviously very sensitive,” Galvin told CBS Miami.
“It’s just shocking, and Broward County Schools should be ashamed of themselves.”
Florida law prohibits transgender women from playing on girls’ sports teams. NFHL network
Lisa Maxwell, executive director of the Broward Association of Principals and Assistants, wrote that she was “confident that at the conclusion of this investigation, principal James Cecil will be fully exonerated and returned to Monarch High.”
Some students are allegedly planning protests and possible walkouts over reassignment and support for the transgender community, NBC6 reported.
“If we just sit here and just ask them to go to boys’ teams, then it seems like we’re not supporting people’s perspectives on things, like, being a girl or a boy or whatever, and this school is really big on LGBTQ+ clubs and stuff, so , it seems more hypocritical on our part,” an unidentified student told the outlet.
Several students at Monarch High School are accused of planning protests and possible walkouts from reassignment and support for the transgender community. WSVN-TV
Another student, who was not identified, said they were in favor of Florida’s law if trans athletes were biologically male.
“If he’s a biological male, I don’t think he should be able to play on a girls team,” the student told NBC6.
23 states have banned transgender students from competing in high school sports consistent with their gender identity, according to the Movement Progress Project.
In Florida, a female transgender student-athlete cannot participate without showing a birth certificate stating she was born female.
The law does not prevent athletes born female from playing on male or male teams.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
