Judge hears arguments over religious school’s ban from Vt. sports over transgender athlete dispute

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – An Upper Valley religious school faced off in federal court Friday with state and school officials in a dispute over the private school’s stance on transgender student-athletes.

“We are here because the state of Vermont continues to discriminate against religious schools,” said Jacob Reed, a lawyer representing Mid Vermont Christian, A religious school in White River Junction.

The school was banned last year from participating in all Vermont Principals Association events — sports and academics — after refusing to play a girl’s basketball game against an opponent with a transgender student. The school initially argued that playing against “biological males” jeopardized fairness and safety for girls on their team.

The school now wants the ban dropped, saying that they should be allowed to forfeit to any opponents with transgender students on the roster. “The goal is that the state of Vermont respects religious schools and their First Amendment rights and accommodates those religious schools and allows them to participate equally in public programs such as tuition programs and Vermont sports,” Reed said.

Lawyers representing the state, the VPA, and school districts say that would put schools in the position of having to single out transgender students, which would violate state and federal discrimination protections. “What that means is in the end, schools like Mid Vermont Christian will make decisions based on people’s appearance. We think that is wholly unacceptable,” said Pietro Lynn, a lawyer representing school districts.

The judge’s decision is expected in the near future.

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