The Florida High School Athletic Association fined Monarch High $16,500 and placed the suburban Fort Lauderdale school on probation for 11 months.

Florida’s state athletic board fined a high school and put it on probation Tuesday after a transgender student played on the girls volleyball team, a violation of a controversial law enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature.

The Florida High School Athletic Association fined Monarch High $16,500, ordered the principal and athletic director to attend rules seminars and placed the suburban Fort Lauderdale school on probation for 11 months, meaning further violations could lead to increased punishments. The association also barred the girl from participating in boys sports for 11 months.

The 2021 law, which supporters named “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” bars transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes identified as girls at birth.

The student, a 10th grader who played in 33 matches over the last two seasons, was removed from the team last month after the Broward County School District was notified by an anonymous tipster about her participation. Her removal led hundreds of Monarch students to walk out of class two weeks ago in protest.

  • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
    1•7 months ago

    Competitive Hockey was the same way. But we were also allowed to “play up” if we were good enough to get on an older team. So it did have some balancing in that regard. For private competitive sports in the high school age brackets we should be using the same rules as the professional leagues. Because that’s where people go to get noticed by the scouts and train intensively to play at high levels.

    But in high school teams? Those should be the same rules as the friendly leagues where nobody cares. It’s about having fun and not much else. Winning definitely isn’t the point at a school.

    • skweetis
      2•7 months ago

      It’s sounds like we’re fundamentally in agreement, but I don’t even see the big deal if every once in a while there is one trans girl playing in a competitive youth league. Sure you could argue that there’s only so many spots on the team, so maybe some cis girl who would have made it loses out. But if you’re the 20th best player and you get cut because there’s one trans girl? I mean, you’re the 20th best player, you’re probably not going to be at the top of the recruiters list. I just feel like this time is so fraught for trans people. There are so many powerful forces literally trying to destroy them, I really don’t think we need to worry about hypothetical potential future slippery slopes in kids athletics. Once trans people feel safe, and ideologues aren’t using sports as a wedge issue to promote anti-trans panic, I’m sure we can come up with equitable solutions for these edge cases.

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
        2•7 months ago

        That’s a really good point. And if the league being scouted for doesn’t allow trans players then the scouts are just going to skip to the next best player.