Florida school employee who let son play on girls' volleyball team receives 10-day suspension

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a statement from the Florida Department of Education.

An employee at a high school in Southeastern Florida has received a 10-day, unpaid suspension after she apparently violated the state's Fairness in Women’s Sports Act by allowing her teenage son to play on a girls' volleyball team.

For seven years, Jessica Norton worked as a computer information specialist at Monarch High School, about 15 miles or so north of Fort Lauderdale. She also coached the girls' junior varsity volleyball team.

'She knew what the law was, she made a decision not to follow the law, and that needs to have consequence to it.'

But last November, Norton and several other school officials were transferred to other district sites after news broke that Norton's son, who claims to be transgender, was playing on the girls' varsity volleyball team. Norton had also allegedly indicated that her son was "female" on a form asking about his sex at birth, as Blaze News previously reported.

Back in March, a professional standards committee recommended that Norton be assessed a 10-day suspension. However, then-Superintendent Licata and current Superintendent Howard Hepburn overruled that decision and recommended termination instead.

The Broward County School Board, which lobbied against the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, has wrangled over Norton's case for past several weeks. On Tuesday, the board voted 5-4 in favor of a 10-day, unpaid suspension as well as removing Norton from her position as a computer information specialist.

'I didn’t quit when I’m pretty sure that they wanted me to just resign and say I’m done.'

Before the final vote, however, members on both sides of the issue spoke their piece.

Chair Lori Alhadeff insisted that termination was the only way to deter other district employees from committing similar FWSA violations. "If we do not terminate, then others would then be left to believe that they can, too, break the law, and I have a problem with that," Alhadeff said.

Board member Brenda Fam likewise insisted on terminating Norton, referring to her as an "LGBTQ+ advocate" and likening her apparent falsification of her son's records regarding gender to giving a false address to allow a child to attend a better school, an act that is a crime in Florida. "I think what happened is criminal, in my opinion," Fam said.

"This was not a question about her son or her family. It was an issue about what she did as an employee and how she harmed others," Fan added.

Jessica Norton and her husband, Gary Norton — who both attended the meeting Tuesday — walked out of the room after Fam allegedly "misgendered" their son. Fam insisted she was just quoting from a news article.

Board member Debbi Hixon also took issue with Norton allegedly falsifying her son's records but stopped short of calling for Norton's termination. "She knew what the law was, she made a decision not to follow the law, and that needs to have consequence to it," Hixon stated before noting that this was Norton's "first offense."

"We would not terminate someone on their first offense."

Other members expressed support for and sympathy with Norton's cause.

Board member Sarah Leonardi claimed that Norton, a woman who authorized giving her son puberty blockers when he was just 11 and estrogen thereafter, had not caused any real harm to anyone.

"Ms. Norton did not abuse a child. She did not harm a child. She did what she thought was in the best interest of her daughter," Leonardi said.

Jeff Holness simply stated, "The child has suffered enough, and so has this family, I think we need to move forward."

Following the vote, Norton expressed relief that she still had a job and defiance that she had been suspended. "I did nothing wrong. Nothing," she said.

"I fought for her," Norton continued. "I didn’t back down. I didn’t quit when I’m pretty sure that they wanted me to just resign and say I’m done."

Norton did not indicate whether she would return to work in the district. Her son is now 16 and attends virtual school. He was previously class president and homecoming princess at Monarch High School.

According to WTVJ, several of the boy's former teammates said they either knew or at least suspected he was a male but never showered or changed clothes near him. They also added that they did not have a problem playing alongside a boy.

The Fairness in Women's Sports Act, signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, forbids males to play on sports teams designated for females only.

The state athletic commission fined Monarch High School $16,500 in connection with Norton's son. The school could also face lawsuits in the future, should a female who did not make the team later claim she was denied a chance for scholarships, the AP reported.

Sydney Booker, the communications director for the Florida Department of Education, told Blaze News that Norton's state educator certificate is currently under review by the Education Practices Commission.

"The Department [of Education] will continue to safeguard the integrity of girls’ high school athletics. Boys will never be allowed to play girls’ sports and any person that attempts to disregard state law and state board rule will face consequences," Booker added.

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