A Vermont Christian school is seeking legal action after its girls’ basketball team was banned from the sports association for refusing to play a team that consisted of a biological male. February 2023, Mid Vermont Christian school’s girls’ basketball team qualified to participate in a state-sponsored sports league tournament. However, when they found out the team they were seeded against had a transgender player, the school reached out to the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA), which oversees state athletics, to express their safety and religious concerns. However, when the VPA refused to make any accommodations, the team chose to forfeit the game rather than violate their religious beliefs. The VPA then banned the school from state-sponsored sports activities, citing the school’s refusal to play against a transgender student a violation of the states “gender fair” policies and the school was exercising “blatant discrimination under the guise of religious freedom.” The school sued the VPA November 2023 for religious discrimination but had that suit denied in June. They filed an appeal on August 30. The school is also asking to be allowed to participate in sports activities while legislation is pending.

“Mid Vermont shouldn’t have to change its religious beliefs and policies in order to compete in middle school and high school athletics. The state of Vermont is trying to purge schools and people from the public square because they don’t agree with the government on a controversial issue,” said Ryan Tucker, of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing the school. “No religious school or their students and parents should be denied equal access to publicly available benefits simply for holding to their religious beliefs.” Tucker pointed out that other schools were allowed to forfeit without repercussions. “[T]he VPA allowed three schools to forfeit games against one school’s girls’ basketball team to avoid competing against a player who had a mask exemption. But the VPA immediately expelled Mid Vermont for forfeiting a game to avoid violating its religious beliefs by competing against a girls’ basketball team allowing a male to compete as a girl,” the ADF said in its brief. “The VPA cannot wield such unbridled discretion, accept when schools forfeit games for secular reasons, and then expel Mid Vermont for forfeiting a game based on its religious beliefs.” While the school awaits the appeal decision, it has joined the New England of Christian Schools athletic organization. The group involves schools across five states, increasing travel times for Mid Vermont to and from games.