A Champlin Park high school athlete is at the center of a brewing controversy after quietly competing in girls’ sports—following a decision made by the child’s parents to legally change both name and sex on official records when the child was just nine years old.
That’s according to a recent report from Reduxx, which cites court documents showing Heather Rothenberger petitioned the Hennepin County District Court in 2017 to amend her child’s birth certificate.
The petition was granted, changing the child’s name from “Charlie Dean” to “Marissa” and the sex designation to female, Reduxx reports.
Now 17, Rothenberger is a high school junior at Champlin Park High School and a starting pitcher for the school’s varsity fastpitch softball team.
Rothenberger’s athletic success—recently leading Champlin Park to a dominant win over the defending state champions—has caused anger and concern among competitors who have only recently learned that Rothenberger is biologically male, the Reduxx report says.
According to the report, Rothenberger’s performance on the field has stood out this season and last. In an early April matchup against Rogers High School, Rothenberger struck out 14 batters and hit a double, helping secure a shutout victory, Reduxx reports.
In a May 2024 video posted by CCX sports reporter Chaz Mootz, Rothenberger attributed this pitching success to “mixing different speeds” and “keeping [the other team] off-balanced.”
“Phenomenal job,” one coach said about Rothenberger’s performance in the interview.
MSHSL section playoff softball already starts next week. Champlin Park enters the postseason red hot, winners of 14 in a row.
The Patriots closed out the regular season last night with a 2-1 win over Chaska. Marissa Rothenberger threw 10 k’s, only allowing 3 hits in 7 IP. pic.twitter.com/gYnl0UlHzG
— Chaz Mootz (@ChazMootzCCX) May 17, 2024
Alpha News spoke on the condition of anonymity with the father of a Class 4A high school softball player in the Twin Cities, who said he had heard rumblings for over a year that Rothenberger was biologically male.
“I remember last spring going into the summer he grew like five inches, so that kind of was interesting,” he said of Rothenberger, who is six feet tall. “This had been a rumor for a long time, but we just got full confirmation in early April.”
He described Rothenberger as a talented athlete with a powerful pitch and said safety concerns for female opponents is a big concern.
“His pitches are faster with more movement than what most girls see,” he said. “My daughter says it’s a noticeable difference, and that’s reflected in the stats. I’m not saying he would try to hurt anyone, but when someone throws that hard, the chances of injury go up. It’s just a different level of physicality.”
Though frustrated by the fact that his daughter has to compete against Rothenberger, the father emphasized that his frustration is not directed at Rothenberger personally.
“The child is not at fault at all. I mean, the child is raised the way the child is being raised,” he said. “This is probably some type of brainwashing that has to take place in order to maintain this level of secrecy and this type of lifestyle.”
Citing fairness and safety, he added: “I just want biological females to play with biological females and biological males to play with biological males. That’s the whole point of Title IX.”
Rothenberger dominates fastpitch
In addition to playing for Champlin Park, Rothenberger also competed with Midwest Speed Softball, an elite travel team, according to Reduxx.
“He was making some of the best hitters in the country look like they were JV,” said the father who spoke to Alpha News.
Rothenberger’s player profile highlights an All State Award and recognition as Player of the Month in July 2024 by the Heart of America Elite Fastpitch League.
One of Rothenberger’s stated goals is to play Division 1 college softball, according to Reduxx, which reports that many teammates were unaware of Rothenberger’s sex until recently.
One anonymous player who competed alongside Rothenberger in 2023 told the outlet she was shocked when she learned the truth last summer.
“We were never really that close because I never had anything in common with him,” the player said. “I never thought he was a boy, but after finding out he was a boy and then looking back on a lot of things I wouldn’t have looked at before, [it] definitely shows he is a boy, and I felt dumb for missing the clues.”
Describing Rothenberger’s athletic dominance as “completely unreal,” the player said, “He is able to be relied on as a pitcher, and took opportunities away from girls who deserved them most.”
Renee Carlson, general counsel for True North Legal, said the situation highlights the importance of legislative efforts to protect girls’ sports.
“Nearly 80% of the country agrees with us: male athletes do not belong on girls’ teams. It is unfair to teammates and competitors alike,” Carlson said in a statement. “While our opponents on this issue try to normalize males hijacking girls opportunities, we say displacing one girl from a girls’ sports team or a roster is one too many.”
School district responds
When contacted by Alpha News, the Anoka-Hennepin School District declined to comment on Rothenberger specifically, citing privacy protections.
“Due to data privacy laws, the District is not able to provide public comment regarding a specific student athlete,” said Jim Skelly, executive director of communications and public relations. “We can confirm that all of the athletes participating for the Champlin Park Softball team are eligible to compete in compliance with Minnesota State High School League rules and applicable state law.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
