The Vermont Principals’ Association has agreed to pay Mid Vermont Christian School and its lawyers $566,000 over a dispute centered around participation by transgender athletes.
As reported by CBS affiliate WCAX in Burlington, the lawsuit has been in the courts for several years. The settlement follows a federal appeals court decision that ruled in favor of the school.
"It has been three years since the girls' basketball team at Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a playoff game against a team that had a transgender student in the lineup," WCAX's Adam Sullivan reported. "The incident made national headlines."
Per Sullivan, the school filed a lawsuit against the Vermont Principals’ Association in 2023 after all of its teams were barred indefinitely from competition in athletic tournaments conducted by the Vermont Principals’ Association. The penalty came after the girls' basketball team boycotted a game against a team with a transgender player. The VPA claimed the school’s actions violated the state’s anti-discrimination policy.
“This settlement is a giant win not only for the 1st Amendment but obviously for the school itself,” said David Cortman with the Alliance Defending Freedom, the group representing the school in court, as reported by WCAX.
Mid Vermont teams were once again allowed to compete this season after a federal appeals court issued an injunction against the VPA late last year, Sullivan reported.
In addition to agreeing to pay damages and attorneys' fees, the VPA promised similar bans would not take place in the future, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, per Sullivan's report.
“Religious schools and families shouldn’t be punished merely for engaging in their religious beliefs and religious exercise and we appreciate the VPA for actually coming to this conclusion and agreeing to settle the case,” Cortman said.
