The issue of trans students on girl’s sports teams, specifically trans girls— or students who were labeled as male at birth yet identify as female— has been incredibly controversial in recent years. Many believe that trans girls have biological advantages that make the sport unfair to other girls, while others believe that this has no significant impact and that they should be allowed to play.
Lauren Saddler, a freshman, agrees with the former. “I feel like [female trans athletes] should play on boy’s teams because men were typically made to be stronger than women, so it would be unfair for a biological boy to play on a women’s team.”
Regardless, laws have been passed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that prohibit students whose “biological sex”, the one printed on their birth certificate, is categorized as male. This leaves any and all trans girls barred from participating in their school’s female sports teams.
So when James Cecil, the principal of Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, was recently brought under official investigation for allowing a trans student onto a girl’s volleyball team, things got heated.
Cecil and four of his fellow administrators have all been reassigned for the duration of the investigation. While some supported this action, many others were displeased.
“In some aspects, I understand why the law is in place,” says Rian Santiago, a freshman at Coral Glades. “But it still feels somewhat discriminatory.” This perspective is shared by many Floridians. “I don’t believe Mr. Cecil as well as the other staff members should’ve been reassigned,” she adds.
When emails started pouring into the inboxes of Monarch students and parents about the change of leadership at the school due to said investigation, the fury was apparent in the community. The result was a student-led walkout in support of both the trans athlete and Cecil.
Kids marched out of the school in a waterfall, holding signs that said things like “Bring Back Cecil” and “Let Her Play” in a demonstration that lasted about thirty minutes. This show of protest has drawn significant support from the community.
John Sullivan, a spokesperson for Broward County Public Schools, said when interviewed by the South Florida Sun Sentinel that “The investigation was launched solely on an allegation of a state law not being followed. The lawsuit had no bearing on our decision to investigate or reassign.” And in a written statement released to the press, also said “Although we cannot comment further, we will continue to follow state law and will take appropriate action based on the outcome of the investigation. We are committed to providing all our students with a safe and inclusive learning environment.”
All things considered, the law is the law, and consequences must be handed out when it is broken. Whether or not it was done intentionally is still to be decided, but for now, all we can do is wait and see how it plays out.
