Mid-Vermont Christian School banned from tournament play over transgender decision, promises appeal

By Guy Page

The private Christian school banned Monday from future Vermont high school athletic tournaments and other Vermont Principals Association activities said it is “disappointed” with the decision and promised to appeal.

“Mid Vermont Christian school is disappointed with the decision of the VPA Executive Council to ban us from participation in all VPA activities. We intend to appeal the decision. Cancelling our membership is not a solution and does nothing to deal with the very real issue of safety and fairness facing women’s sports in our beloved state. We urge the VPA to reconsider its policies, and balance the rights of every athlete in the state,” Head of School Vicky Fogg said Tuesday.

Mid Vermont Christian School in White River Junction

The boys basketball team for Mid-Vermont Christian School, based in White River Junction, experienced a thrilling ride to the Division 4 state championship game, losing to bi-state high school Rivendell. But it was a decision regarding the girls’ basketball team that led to being booted from future VPA tournament action. Last month, the MVCS girls’ team forfeited rather than take the court against Long Trail School and its 6’2”, biological male center.

Yesterday, the VPA ruled the school ineligible to join any future “dance” – sports slang for exciting, end-of-year basketball championship tournaments.

“With feedback from membership at large are diversity equity and inclusion in Activities Committee and our activities standards committee, the VPA’s executive Council met today March 13th 2023 to discuss the relevant forfeiture. The result was a determination that policies have been violated at the school level, thus there is an immediate determination of an ineligibility for Mid-Vermont Christian in VPA sanctioned activities and tournaments going forward,” a VPA statement said. The March statement followed a similar Feb. 27 statement.

The VPA decision was greeted with disappointment, concern for freedom of religion, and even outrage by some Vermonters. VDC solicited comments from over 50 people from all over the socio-political spectrum, including many lawmakers. Below are some of the responses:

“The VPA appears to have been overtaken by far-left influencers to such an extent that it is relying on the heavy hand of authority rather than negotiation to resolve this delicate situation,” former lawmaker Bob Frenier (R-Chelsea) said. “But they also support the anti-Christian leftist Democrats in the legislature who want to deny tuition vouchers to religious schools. That authoritarian instinct to deny religious expression is dangerous and I wonder if the VPA polled their members before exacerbating this situation.”

School choice advocate David Kelley defended the VPA decision because it teaches students the importance of following the rules. “One of the most important lessons of high school sports is the importance of abiding by the rules. We live in a world that depends on rules–and laws–and if we can’t follow them then we need to be prepared to accept the consequences. If we believe the rules are unjust then we can work nonviolently to change them. But we don’t write our own rules.”

“I wrote to the VPA telling them that I am very concerned about their decision,” Burlington school parent Jennifer Hume said. “The issue of men and biological males wanting to participate in women’s sports deserves a long and thoughtful study and rigorous discussion that includes everyone. I personally don’t think the solution can ever be to have men compete with women who don’t want to compete against men.

“There could certainly be some creative solutions that no one has thought of yet but to find those, we need to thoroughly and intelligently examine the issue from all angles,” Hume said. “The decision to exclude an entire school full of young people from activities that bring joy, excellent physical and mental health, and that teach discipline and sportsmanship will be detrimental to society as a whole and is cruel to the young people who are being excluded.”

South Hero farmer and free speech activist Robert Fireovid said Vermonters need to get organized.

“A non-profit, something like “Vermonters Against Dangerous Ideologies in Schools” (VADIS), composed mostly of volunteers is needed to educate the public about the dangers youth of ideological (not fact-based) concepts being used in the schools. Concepts such as the Doctrine of Gender Identity, Critical Race Theory, and Global Citizenship,” Fireovid said. “The organization would provide presentation materials to volunteers who would give presentations in their local libraries, churches, and submit articles for publication in their local newspapers. The organization would hire consultants to help prepare and/or review presentation materials. Volunteers in the organization could do double-duty (outside the organization) to help candidates for school board elections.

“The Green Mountain Boys didn’t win Vermont’s freedom without organizing. We have to organize today if we’re ever going to have a chance of winning this fight.”

A retired UVM scientist, Gerry Silverstein of South Burlington, commented: “Vermont preaches “diversity” but, truth be told, the only values and beliefs that are deemed acceptable in the State of Vermont are those detailed in edicts issued by those who control the levers of power.”

And finally, the Hathaway family of Essex Junction en masse sent this note: “This is a real inflection point for our family. While most of our friends have left the state quietly for fear of retaliation from the schools and local media, we remain here, with a great foundation in a local private school, knowing our kids can continue a solid education while living out our family values. Now the public schools, the LEADERS of those public schools that we are forced to pay for, are condemning our private institutions. What options are we left with for our kids? We commend MVCS for taking a stand, the time is now to live out our values.”

Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.

12 thoughts on “Mid-Vermont Christian School banned from tournament play over transgender decision, promises appeal

  1. This team made a hard decision and stood by their beliefs. They did so with dignity and respect for all should not be punished for doing the right thing.
    Tye VPA should be shuttered.

  2. Follow the science, they say…….( what they really mean is our political science )

    Thankfully some schools teach science, bravo!

  3. Where is the feminist movement protecting women’s rights? The mentally confused males have no right competing against women who don’t have the same body structure or strength. It’s a abomination which is why it’s being tried on here in Sodom and Gomorrah on the east coast. Also why isn’t this a civil liberties violation ACLU? Keep up the girls you hold the high ground.

  4. Never give in to the woke fools.
    They are seeking to make everyone dance to THEIR tune
    No one elected them to do so.
    The girls on the team are learning a great life lesson
    They are seeing up close the scare-mongering tactics of government-subsidized entities
    Submit!
    Do as we tell you, or else we will MAKE you take a knee.

  5. What coach of a girls athletic team would allow his team to compete in a contest of physical strength or endurance against a biological male? The first girl who is injured by one of these biological males on a girls team is going to have a lot of folks to sue. Where is the National Organisation for Women?

  6. I’m hoping there is a fundraising effort to help MVCS with the upcoming legal battles. I’m absolutely disgusted with the direction the state is taking. What makes it even more painful is our great FL governor outlaws this BS ….talk about polar opposites. Even more people will be moving out of VT given ALL the other issues.
    NWO/WEF totalitarianism in full swing…start w a small state like VT.

  7. Mr. Jackson nailed it.
    Where are the women’s group so ready to burn their bras in the 60’s?
    The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice was created following the ratification of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans.

    The Division enforces federal statues prohibiting discrimination on the basis of the following: race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status, and national origin and provides a leadership and coordination role across government agencies.

    Nothing there regarding the defense of an individual’s imagination, unless of course it fell under the realm of disability ….

  8. Any of us that are in our late 70’s that grew up anywhere in Vermont know that the industrious folks (our parents) that came back after WWII to grow a civilized life in a wonderful state would be totally disgusted and disappointed in Vermont today. Those folks were fiscally conservative first and foremost, possessed great common sense, and were morally centered.
    This issue shines the spotlight on how off-center the Vermont I knew and loved growing up is gone. In its place is a contortion of political mishmash unrecognizable other than as residue from Bernie’s outhouse.

  9. Brave girls and if the others are they will follow them. The only to put an end to this is for women to refuse to compete.

  10. Headline read ’round the world: The Vermont Principal’s Association essentially just nullified Title 9 equal rights for women’s school sports by allowing men to compete against them. Just because you think you are a woman doesn’t make you any less of a man and vice-versa.

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