Two female student athletes who were ousted from their varsity squad alleged their California school district gave preferential treatment to a transgender teammate – and then barred their right to protest the matter, comparing their “Save Girls’ Sports” shirts to a swastika, according to a new lawsuit.
The cross country runners and their families accused the Riverside Unified School District of Title IX violations after the school unfairly pushed one of them off the elite cross-country team in favor of a trans student, who failed to attend practices, according to the lawsuit filed Nov. 20 in Riverside County.
“My initial reaction was like, I was really surprised, because it was like, why is this happening to me?” Taylor, a junior at Martin Luther King High School, told Fox News.
“There’s a transgender student on the team. Why am I getting displaced when I worked so hard and gone to all the practices, and this student has only attended a few of the practices.”
The complaint alleges the trans student failed to train or show up to all required practices, yet still posted better scores and was given the top spot to compete in a high-profile cross-country meet, which Taylor participated in last year.
Taylor failed to make the cut in a decision she claims will deprive her of opportunities to not only compete, but garner college recognition and recruitment, the suit alleges.
Taylor, along with Kaitlyn, a top competitor on the junior varsity team who claims her ability to advance to varsity is in jeopardy due to the trans athlete, protested the matter at a local meet by wearing t-shirts that said “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense. XX ≠ XY.”
The district then infringed on their constitutional right when school authorities told them to remove or conceal their shirts, calling their attire hostile and intimidating — likening the messaging to that of a swastika, according to the lawsuit.
“It was definitely hard to hear because we’re by no means trying to be hateful,” Kaitlyn, a ninth-grader, told Fox.
“We’re just wearing a shirt that expresses what we believe in trying to raise awareness to a situation.”
The pair lambasted the school district for displaying LGBTQ messaging around campus and allowing the trans student to wear a “trans pride” bracelet.
A spokesperson for the district said that each school is required to adhere to California law and recommended those in opposition to take their complaints to lawmakers who oversee and create these laws and policies.
“California state law prohibits discrimination of students based on gender, gender identity and gender expression, and specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in physical education and athletics,” Liz Pinney-Muglia told The Post.
“The protections we provide to all students are not only aligned with the law but also with our core values, which include equity and well-being.”
Students and parents who attended a school board meeting last week voiced support for the two female athletes, with a 16-year-old student giving an impassioned plea to officials in defense of the lawsuit.
“I have been around the females and just my team in general, who have felt almost silenced to speak out about it, because the whole LGBTQ is shoved down our throats and going into the locker room and seeing males in there, I don’t find that safe,” Riley Morrow said told Fox.
“It’s not okay. I’m a 16-year-old girl. There’s girls around me where we do not feel safe having boys in our environment.”
She argued the transgender student has “genetic advantages” over biological females on the team, adding that she was advocating for girls and women across the globe in the same situation.
Morrow also expressed disappointment with the school district for censoring students.
“It feels as though that my school and the school district is choosing to support one person instead of the whole team,” Morrow said.
“To see the athletic director turn around and tell my teammates that their shirts that say, ‘Save Girl’s Sports’ be compared to a swastika, that is not okay. These girls feel silenced, they felt silenced, and when they finally did something to speak out against it . . . they were completely stabbed in the back.”
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