A Prior Lake-Savage school board member voted against renewing the district’s membership in the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) because of its policy that allows transgender students to compete on teams of the opposite sex.
Board member Lisa Atkinson said during a July 10 meeting that “female sports should be for female athletes,” a statement that the overwhelming majority of Americans agree with. But in 2014, the MSHSL changed its policies to allow students to compete “consistent with their gender identity or expression.”
Atkinson said the policy has caused concern among parents because of the “large increase in students experiencing rapid onset gender dysphoria,” though no students in the district have requested to compete on an opposite-sex team thus far.
Atkinson, who received more votes than any other candidate last election, acknowledged that the district “really has no choice” but to join MSHSL, since there is only one high school league in the state, while stressing the importance of “creating a safe and fair experience for all students.”
“For this reason, I encourage parents to reach out to their legislative representatives and share their concerns as Minnesota currently does not have a fairness in women’s sports act, which would ultimately protect our female student athletes,” Atkinson said.
She said the push to allow biological males to compete against women “has raised concerns with parents in our district who have daughters competing in our district sports such as swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball where a transgender student’s physical anatomy would give them an unfair and unsafe advantage.”
“My hope is that as a district, we will continue to stand up for our female students when they are feeling marginalized on the basis of sex and make the proper accommodations for girls who are uncomfortable sharing private spaces with biological males and advocate for them when they are forced to compete with a biological boy at state for scholarship opportunities,” she concluded.
Activities director Jeff Marshall said the district wouldn’t be able to participate in post-season activities or state tournaments if it left MSHSL and likely would be kicked out of its conference.
The board voted 6-1 to renew its membership with MSHSL.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
