Florida School District Sued for Transgender Sports Ban in Landmark Athlete Case

Florida school district transgender sports ban Broward School Board

By E.Baloyo , Parent Herald Jan 13, 04:29 am

Photo: (Photo : Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

A lawsuit is coming to challenge a Florida school district due to the 2021 state law that implements a transgender sports ban in public schools in the state. This 2021 law bans transgender women from playing on the women's side of the sports team.

A family member of one of the transgender students who is subject to this law and who also aspires to play on the girl's volleyball team filed the lawsuit. Additionally, the lawsuit also states that the school officials have put the girl and their family at risk.

Florida School District Lawsuit for the Transgender Sports Ban

The legal landscape for transgender student-athletes in Florida is facing a significant challenge as the Broward School Board, along with other educational authorities, has been added as a defendant in a federal lawsuit.

This lawsuit, initially filed in 2021, targets the controversial transgender sports ban, putting the Florida school district in the midst of a heated national debate.

The Broward School Board and the district's superintendent, previously dropped from the lawsuit, have now been reinstated as defendants, along with the Florida High School Athletic Association. This amendment to the lawsuit follows U.S. District Judge Roy Altman's November ruling, which upheld the state's right to enforce the 2021 law but allowed for the filing of an amended complaint.

According to her school records, this transgender student-athlete was a 10th grader from Monarch High School who has identified as a girl since elementary school and has since used a woman's name since 2nd grade.

This transgender student-athlete previously recorded to had played 33 matches over the past two seasons, but was removed from her team in November after the Broward County School District found her true identity.

According to the lawsuit, she began receiving gender-affirming medical treatment at age 11, like taking testosterone blockers and started estrogen at 13 to start puberty as a girl.

Her sudden removal from the volleyball team caused an uproar leading to numerous students of Monarch to walk away from class and protest.

The law, known as "The Fairness in Women's Sports Act," was signed into effect by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and has become a focal point in the broader discussion about the rights of transgender student-athletes in Florida and beyond.

Advocacy Calls for Transgender Fairness

The first lawsuit did not name the transgender student involved and her school. However, the recent amended complaint stated that the family lost all of its privacy when the school district began its investigation.

The mother of the child also called the actions of the school as directly putting her in danger. An LGBTQ+ rights organization, the Human Rights Campaign, has been vocal to side and support the family against the transgender sports ban.

According to Jason Starr, the group's litigation strategist stated that the irresponsible indifference to the well-being of the student and her family, as well as the well-being of all transgender students across the state, will not be ignored.

The reaction to the enforcement of the transgender sports ban and the subsequent legal actions has been mixed.

While the Broward County Public Schools have stated their commitment to following state laws, there has been notable support for the transgender student and her family.