Florida athletic officials punish transgender student-athlete and high school over participation on girls’ team
(CNN) — A Florida high school has been placed on one-year administrative probation and fined $16,500 for allowing a transgender girl to play on the girls’ volleyball team, state athletic officials announced Tuesday.
In a three-page letter to Monarch High School’s interim principal, the Florida High School Athletic Association accused the school of violating the state’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act and an association bylaw, both of which prohibit “biological males” from playing on women’s sports teams at public schools. The transgender student played 33 matches during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 volleyball season, the letter states.
The student-athlete is “declared ineligible to represent any member school” through November 2024, according to the letter.
Transgender girls are banned from playing on women’s sports teams at public schools in Florida under the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which was signed into law in 2021 by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis has signed a number of laws targeting transgender youth and adults, including restrictions on gender-affirming care.
In a post on X, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. wrote, “We applaud the swift action taken by the (Florida High School Athletic Association) to ensure there are serious consequences for this illegal behavior.”
Last month, the Broward County School District temporarily removed the high school’s principal and other members of the staff from their positions while it investigated the matter.
A statement from the attorney representing the student’s family to CNN said, in part, “Today’s determination by the Florida High School Athletics Association does not change the fact that the law preventing transgender girls from playing sports with their peers is unconstitutionally rooted in anti-transgender bias, and the Association’s claim to ensure equal opportunities for student athletes rings hollow.”
Broward County Schools told CNN it is in receipt of the letter from the athletics association and its investigation into the matter remains ongoing. According to the letter, school officials have 10 business days to appeal the decision.
Student-athletes in Florida are required to fill out a pre-participation physical evaluation form and complete a physical exam that is reviewed by school officials and submitted to the athletics association. The five-page form asks students to state the sex they were assigned at birth. It is unclear how the student answered the question on the form.
The decision comes amid a spate of legal backlash against transgender students and their participation in school sports, particularly in Republican-led states. And in April, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would bar transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports at federally-funded schools and educational institutions. The bill is not expected to be taken up by the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House has issued a veto threat.
Across the nation, the American Civil Liberties Union says it is tracking more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills, including restrictions on access to public bathrooms and certain forms of healthcare.
CNN’s Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.
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