Girls’ Basketball Team Chooses To Forfeit Playoff Match Over Facing Biological Male Opponent.
What Happened
- Mid Vermont Christian School (girls team: the Eagles) was scheduled to play Long Trail School (team: the Mountain Lions) in the fourth game of the state championship playoffs.
- The school withdrew from the matchup, resulting in a forfeit and ending its tournament run.
- As a result of the forfeit, Long Trail advanced to the quarterfinals, where it later lost to No. 4 seed Arlington, according to local reports.
School’s Stated Reason for Withdrawing
- Vicky Fogg, the head of Mid Vermont Christian School, said the decision was based on concerns about:
- Fairness in competition
- Player safety
- In comments shared publicly, Fogg argued it would be “unfair and unsafe” for the girls team to play against what she described as a “biologically male” athlete.
- Key claim from the school’s position:
- Allowing transgender participation in girls’ sports “jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.”
Vermont’s Policy Framework on Student Athletes and Gender Identity
- Vermont law prohibits discrimination against student athletes based on gender identity.
- The rules emphasize that any dispute about eligibility should be handled “on a case-by-case basis.”
- The Vermont Education Agency guidance described as best practice includes:
- Providing transgender and gender nonconforming students the same opportunities to participate as other students.
- Generally permitting participation in sports in accordance with the student’s gender identity.
- Resolving participation in competitive sports case-by-case.
- The guidance also advised that transgender students should not be required to use a bathroom or locker room that conflicts with the student’s gender identity.
Public Tuition Funding and the School’s Legal/Religious Argument
- Earlier this year, Mid Vermont Christian School submitted a letter while seeking permission to continue receiving public tuition funding.
- In that letter, the school argued it should not be required to follow all state anti-discrimination laws because it is a religious organization.
- The school’s position, as described in the letter, asserted:
- A statutory and constitutional right to make decisions based on religious beliefs across areas such as:
- Hiring and disciplining employees
- Admissions
- Conduct and operational policies
- A statutory and constitutional right to make decisions based on religious beliefs across areas such as:
- The letter also stated that, where state laws conflict with the school’s beliefs regarding “marriage and sexuality,” the school could not affirm parts of the state’s public accommodations framework as described.
Related Vermont Controversy Mentioned in the Report
- The report also referenced a prior dispute involving a girls soccer program:
- Blake Allen (14) was suspended from Randolph Union High School after referring to a transgender student as a “dude,” according to the report.
- Her father, Travis Allen, was reportedly fired without pay from his coaching role after a social media post in which he referred to the student as male.
- The report stated Blake’s suspension was later lifted after a lawsuit was filed, while noting it was unclear whether the school was aware of the lawsuit at the time the suspension was lifted.
Why This Story Matters
- The situation highlights a broader conflict between:
- School-based religious and competitive fairness concerns
- State anti-discrimination standards and inclusive participation policies
- It also underscores how disputes around athletics, eligibility, and student facilities can escalate into disciplinary actions, lawsuits, and statewide debate.