'I definitely feel violated': Christian girls' basketball team heads to court after statewide ban for refusing to play male

A Vermont Christian school has begun its legal fight against the state after the school was banned from state athletics competitions over their girls' basketball team's refusal to play against a team with a male athlete.

In February 2023, Mid Vermont Christian School forfeited a playoff game against Long Trail Mountain because the opponent had a male player on its squad.

Just a few weeks later, Mid Vermont was banned from statewide athletics by the Vermont Principals' Association after the governing body reached a unanimous decision to bar the school over its refusal to play. The state entity citied a "best practices" document that stated, "Transgender and gender nonconforming students are to be provided the same opportunities to participate in physical education as are all other students."

'There's a disadvantage for me.'

After filing a lawsuit in February 2024, the school, with help from the Alliance Defending Freedom, is finally seeing the courtroom.

"I definitely feel violated. I definitely feel nervous playing against men," Myranda Goodwin, a student and basketball player from Mid Vermont told Fox News. "When I play against my brother, it's definitely — there's a disadvantage for me."

Team coach Chris Goodwin offered encouragement to his students and said that while the battle may be difficult, it is important to stand up for what they believe in.

"Even though there's gonna be a cost to doing what's right, that doesn't mean you compromise. You still stand up and you do the right thing, and in the long run, there's a benefit to that," Goodwin said.

The coach went on to say that he never thought he would be in court for simply "adhering to my biblical (and commonsense) belief that boys and girls are different."

In response to Fox News, the Vermont Principals' Association claimed Mid Vermont was hindering the opportunities of other students by standing by its own beliefs.

"Mid Vermont Christian School has every right to teach its beliefs to its own students. It cannot, however, impose those beliefs on students from other public and private schools, deny students from other schools the opportunity to play, or hurt students from other schools because of who those students are."

The legal group AFD claimed in a press release that the state "cannot punish religious schools" by kicking them out of state-sponsored sports.

The group's vice president of litigation said Mid Vermont had been denied a public benefit "just because it stood by the widely held, commonsense belief that boys and girls are different."

While the aforementioned transgender policy asks schools to consider factors like protecting student privacy, it heavily favors the child with the delusional position.

"Generally, students should be permitted to participate in physical education and sports in accordance with the student's gender identity," the policy advises.

The policy also requires schools to maximize "social integration of the transgender student," while ensuring "equal opportunity to participate."

It then simply states, "A transgender student should not be required to use a locker room or restroom that conflicts with the student's gender identity."

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