FL School Fined After Trans Athlete Played On Girls Volleyball Team

COCONUT CREEK, FL — A South Florida high school has been reprimanded by the state’s athletic board for allowing a transgender student to play on the girls volleyball team.

Monarch High School in Coconut Creek violated the state’s 2021 law, “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Acts,” which bars transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student-athletes who identified as girls at birth.

The high school was fined $16,500 by the Florida High School Athletic Association, and its principal and athletic director were ordered to attend rules on student participation in athletics.

Monarch’s principal and other school officials were reassigned after Broward County Schools opened an investigation into “allegations of improper student participation in sports,” NBC News reported.

The school was also placed on probation for 11 months. Further violations could lead to increased punishments for the school.

The girl, a 10th grader, has also been barred from participating in boys sports for 11 months.

After playing in 33 matches for the team over two seasons, the student was removed from the team last month after Broward County Schools received an anonymous tip.

Hundreds of Monarch students walked out of class two weeks ago to protest her removal from the team.

“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida passed legislation to protect girls’ sports and we will not tolerate any school that violates this law,” Education Commissioner Manny Diaz said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We applaud the swift action taken by the Florida High School Athletic Association to ensure there are serious consequences for this illegal behavior.”

Jessica Norton, the student’s mother, said that the outing of her child was a "direct attempt to endanger" her.

The mother also thanked Monarch students for protesting on her daughter’s behalf.

"The outpouring of love and support from our community ... has been inspiring, selfless and brave," Norton said. "Watching our community’s resistance and display of love has been so joyous for our family — the light leading us through this darkness."

The girl has identified as female since before starting elementary school, has used a girl’s name since the second grade, and began taking testosterone blockers when she was 11 and estrogen at age 13.

This story includes reporting from The Associated Press.