A parent of a Monroe (Mich.) High School girls’ volleyball player has launched a federal complaint with the Department of Education against the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
According to ABC 13, the Monroe High School girls’ volleyball team competed against Skyline High School this fall without being made aware that Skyline’s team included a transgender athlete. That information made its way to the Monroe team a few weeks after the match.
In the complaint, Sean Lechner calls for “transparency and competitive fairness,” and he is challenging the MHSAA rule that allows transgender athletes to compete in high school athletics and use locker rooms that match their gender identity.
“I’m speaking out today not just for my daughter, but for every family who was betrayed when the adults responsible failed to do their job,” said Lechner at a press event at the Monroe County Courthouse.
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A spokesperson from MHSAA confirmed that the organization will “follow the law” and that transgender athlete participation “remains subject to ongoing legal debate.”
For its part, Monroe Public Schools received Lechner’s federal complaint and told ABC 13 that a third-party investigation would be launched into the Title IX allegations.
“The district has chosen to use a third party so that the investigation can be completed in a manner that allows for complete transparency from beginning to end,” the school district said in a statement.
Currently, transgender athletes in Michigan may participate in school sports on a case-by-case basis. The student applies for a waiver to start the process. The MHSAA confirmed that there is only one transgender athlete competing in the state this academic year — a decrease from two transgender athletes last year.
The MHSAA maintains its transgender athlete policies based on a 2023 amendment to Michigan’s civil rights act that includes protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
