For’ misgendering’ opposing trans-female person
A 15-year-old woman at a Washington State high school is under investigation for “bullying” and “harassment” for supposedly “misgendering” a female person on an opposing female sports team.
Tumwater High School person Frances Staudt earlier this month uncovered during pre-game warm-ups that her group’s player had a natural man on its squad, according to a problem from the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism.
According to Washington Interscholastic Activities Association coverage, Tumwater Principal Zach Suderman and Athletic Director Jordan Magrath confirmed this was the situation.
State leaders have also voiced opposition to President Trump’s executive order, which forbids natural people from competing on children’s sports teams.
The government’s vilification of the transgender community is “repugnant,” according to the attorney general’s office, and Transgender players are subject to discrimination according to Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal.
As like, the two Tumwater leaders refused Staudt’s demand” to either replace the men or stop the game entirely”, with Suderman claiming to do either may amount to “gender-identity-based bias”.
Staudt retorted that excluding a man from a sexual opposition really constitutes “discrimination.”
Staudt continued to request that officials not let the boy, who was identified by “un ] Divided” podcaster Brandi Kruse as Shelton High School senior Andi Rooks, play or stop the game altogether after refusing to play in the game.
This led to the Tumwater School District beginning an inspection into , Staudt for “harassing” the adult person.
Are you telling me that your child will never be knocked down or possibly injured by one bigger, stronger, and faster than she is while playing sports, according to the Staudt family’s reported Dean Suderman?
They also claim a school employee intimidated Frances ‘ brother for taking video of the game:” You better think twice about what you’re doing right now”, he ( allegedly ) said.
This is not over, Staudt later wrote on Instagram,” It has fueled a passion for me to speak out against the wrongdoing that is still happening in this great country.”
She also accused Rooks of “brutalizing” her teammates ( pictured, upper left, see segment in first video at 8: 15 ).
MORE: Male athlete pole vaults girls ‘ track team to state championship
According to” ]un ] Divided”, school officials demanded Staudt take down her post, and Rooks ‘ father sent numerous text messages” to Staudt’s mother threatening to” come to her house “if she did not respond.
Host Brandi Kruse further noted the Tumwater Education Association, the local teachers union, came out in support of Rooks, posting on Facebook” Dear trans kids, the world is better with you in it and you are worth fighting for.”
Hate cannot drive out hate,” We are acknowledging our students as they already exist in the world,” it continued, “and” Hatred wrapped in the cloak of euphemisms is still hatred. ” ( Both posts apparently have since been deleted. )
Rooks and his father appeared on Kruse’s show shortly after the controversy to provide their side of the story. The father’s main motivation was setting the record straight regarding Staudt’s” brutalizing” social media comment.
Rooks said his mother gave him the idea of” transitioning,” and that neither he nor his father could raise any questions about his son’s choice.
Notably, unlike others in similar situations, Rooks and his dad were remarkably understanding and reasonable during the discussion.
Highlights from the back-and-forth:
Despite Washington State permitting procedures like hormone therapy for minors, Rooks is vehemently opposed to minors going through physical gender transitioning, and he is against the forced use of gender pronouns.
If Staudt or someone else had reached him with concerns about his participation, Rooks said he would have gladly sat out the game against Tumwater. He was disappointed that Principal Suderman and other Tumwater HS officials failed to inform him of Staudt’s concerns:” My goal was never to make anybody uncomfortable in any way… [ I didn’t even realize Frances had an issue until I got yelled at at the game.
Rooks opposes playing biological males against biological females. Why, then, does he play on girls ‘ teams”? It’s just something that I’ve always done, “he said. He noted his participation hadn’t been an issue until now, and that he’s” never been that good at basketball.”
Kruse argued that laws and regulations cannot be based on a biological male’s” sucks” at a particular sport.
In addition, Rooks and his dad ( a Trump supporter, by the way ) did not seem to grasp Kruse’s question about why the onus should be put on concerned students like Staudt ( and her parents ) to raise the issue of a trans-female’s participation in a ( girls ) sport, especially given the political environment.
When Kruse inquired about Rooks using girls ‘ locker rooms, which he does, they both appeared puzzled.
MORE: Women’s volleyball coach suspended after submitting a complaint about a transgender athlete.
IMAGES: Shutterstock .com, Brandi Kruse/Facebook
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