A Vermont Christian school has taken legal action over punishment handed out after it forfeited a girl’s basketball game against a team that was set to field a transgender player.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a religious freedom group, filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS), which decided to take a loss in February rather than play against Long Trail High School.
The lawsuit states that MVCS was banned from future tournaments by the Vermont Principal’s Association (VPA), which also kicked them out of the association.
The school and three sets of guardians have sued education officials in the state for “denying the Christian school and its students from participating in the state’s tuition program and sports league because of their religious beliefs,” reported Fox News Digital.
The complaint adds: “This civil rights action seeks to protect a Christian school and its students and parents from unconstitutional religious discrimination and hostility.”
Court papers state that the school has been “irreparably harmed by being denied participation” as it is “currently losing out on playing competitive sports in the state and participating in academic competitions.”
The lawsuit says that the school operates an athletic programme that is “consistent with its religious beliefs about sexuality and gender.”
It says that the school is being denied participation in non-athletic events such as debates and fairs “all because the School believes biological boys are boys and cannot affirm otherwise.”
ADF senior counsel Ryan Tucker added in a statement: “Vermont has repeatedly discriminated against Christian schools and their families for following their religious beliefs.
“Put simply, Mid Vermont Christian School believes that boys are boys and girls are girls. They have been punished for this belief. No school or parent should have to change their beliefs to participate in athletics or a state tuitioning program.”
The Independent has reached out to VPA for comment.
