According to FOX 11 in Green Bay, a group of Wisconsin parents are outraged over what could potentially be a transgender athlete participating in a girls' sport at an area school. The outlet reported Wednesday, that parents said their daughters started coming home from summer games and practices, with welts and bruises, that they never noticed on their children before.
Citing confidentiality concerns, they declined to specify which sport and which school is involved in the offense. Reportedly, however, the school in focus belongs to the Green Bay Area Public School District.
Three sets of parents interviewed about the ordeal to get their reactions, cited concerns over fairness and safety, particularly when it comes to biological males participating alongside biological women. A new poll shows nearly 7 in 10 oppose biological men in women's sports.
A concerned mom, Heather Longlais, told the outlet that the student under scrutiny has the "most power" out of all members on the team. She added that she isn't opposed to trans-students having a "seat at the table," but added that the seat doesn't need to be at the "girls' table," particularly referencing biological males transitioning to female.
One parent, Ryan Gusick, said-
"They're just not used to the ball coming at them that hard,", adding… "A lot of these girls are specifically quitting this team because they're concerned for their safety.
-Ryan Gusick, Parent
If the student in question is allowed to continue on the team, parents have said that their daughters will not participate in the sport. Reportedly, the district told the outlet, that-
"[The district] cares about the well-being of every student. All decisions regarding a student's ability to participate in co-curricular athletics/activities are made in accordance with Title IX law, Board policy, and WIAA [Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association] regulations."
-Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
According to the outlet, a document outlining WIAA standards, stated that-
“WIAA's policy on transgender athletes focuses” on "equity," "physical safety" and "competitive equity," and acknowledges that "biological males or androgen-supplemented biological females are typically stronger and faster than biological females,"
“The policy also states that "a student's member school will be the point of contact for determining the student's eligibility to participate in WIAA sponsored interscholastic athletics" and, for biological males transitioning to female, they "must have one calendar year of medically documented testosterone suppression therapy to be eligible to participate on a female team."
-Fox 11 Green Bay
“The Czech-American former tennis star first voiced her opposition to transgender women competing with biological women in 2019. “It's insane and it's cheating. I am happy to address a transgender woman in whatever form she prefers, but I would not be happy to compete against her. It would not be fair,” she wrote in an op-ed.”
-Martina Navratilova, Op-Ed, The Washington Examiner