CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – School district officials who disciplined two parents for wearing pink armbands marked “XX” during a football game featuring a transgender player defended their decision Friday at a hearing on whether to take similar action against them.
Kyle Fellers and Anthony Foote were banned from school after a September game by officials who viewed the wristbands as intimidation or harassment at a transgender game. They later sued the Bow school district, and while the no-trespass orders have expired, a judge is ruling that the plaintiffs be allowed to wear bands and carry signs at upcoming school events, including basketball games, swimming and music. concert, the story continues.
The two men testified Thursday that they did not intend to harass or target an opposing team player, and their attorneys said they did nothing more than quietly express their support for protecting girls’ sports for those born women. But school officials confirmed Friday that they had reason to believe that the men would not stop there.
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Superintendent Marcy Kelley and Bow High School Athletic Director Michael Desiletes described receiving strongly worded emails from Foote in which he called himself a “true leader” who was ready to take action and saw his social media posts encouraging others to attend the game. In the days leading up to the game, one parent told school officials that she heard others talking about coming to the game wearing dresses and making fun of a transgender player.
“If we suspect there’s some kind of threat … we don’t wait for it to happen,” Kelley said, comparing it to the way school officials wouldn’t wait until a fight broke out between two students to intervene if they heard the wind. before that happened.
Kelley also pushed back on the idea that the plaintiffs were just showing support for their daughters and teammates, noting that they chose one game featuring a transgender player to start wearing wristbands.
“This is systematic and targeted,” he said. “If we allow abuse, we are guilty.”
The transgender player in question, Parker Tirrell, and another school player are challenging a state law banning transgender players in grades 5 to 12 from teams based on their gender identity. A judge ruled in their case that they can play games during an ongoing lawsuit that seeks to overturn the law.
Gov. Chris Sununu, who signed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act in July, said it “guarantees fairness and safety in women’s sports by maintaining integrity and equality in competitive sports.” Almost half of the countries have taken similar measures.