Share this @internewscast.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The family of a transgender volleyball player has added a South Florida school district as a defendant in a federal lawsuit that challenges a 2021 state law banning transgender girls from playing on female sports teams, claiming school officials have placed the family in danger.

Attorneys for the family filed an amended complaint Thursday that adds the Broward School Board, the school district’s superintendent and the Florida High School Athletic Association. The school officials had been named as defendants when the lawsuit was initially filed in 2021 but were dropped the next year, leaving just the Florida Department of Education and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz as defendants.

“While we can’t comment on pending litigation, Broward County Public Schools remains committed to following all state laws,” district spokesman John J. Sullivan said in a statement. “The District assures the community of its dedication to the welfare of all its students and staff.”

U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, a Trump appointee, ruled in November that state officials had a right to enforce a 2021 law that bars transgender girls and women from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes identified as female at birth but allowed the family to file an amended complaint.

The law, which supporters named “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” was championed and signed in by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for president and has leaned heavily into cultural divides on race, sexual orientation and gender.

The transgender student, a Monarch High School 10th grader who played in 33 matches over the past two seasons, was removed from the team in November after the Broward County School District was notified by an anonymous tipster about her participation.

According to the lawsuit, the student has identified as female since before elementary school and has been using a girl’s name since second grade. At age 11 she began taking testosterone blockers and at 13 started taking estrogen to begin puberty as a girl. Her gender has also been changed on her birth certificate.

The girl’s removal from the volleyball team led hundreds of Monarch students to walk out of class in protest. At the same time, Broward Superintendent Peter Licata suspended or temporarily reassigned five school officials pending an investigation, including the girl’s mother, an information technician at the school.

The Associated Press is not naming the student to protect her privacy.

The initial lawsuit didn’t identify the student or her school, but the amended complaint said the family lost all privacy when the school district began its investigation. The student’s mother issued a statement at the time calling the outing of her daughter a “direct attempt to endanger” the girl.

The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ rights organization, has been supporting the family.

“The reckless indifference to the well-being of our client and her family, and all transgender students across the State, will not be ignored,” the group’s litigation strategist, Jason Starr, said in a statement last month.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Australian state weighs ban on 'globalize the intifada' chants, masked protesters in wake of Hanukkah attack

Australian State Considers Ban on Controversial Chants and Masks Post-Hanukkah Attack

In New South Wales, Australia, authorities are considering a prohibition on the…
Blue Origin launch: Paraplegic engineer Michaela Benthaus becomes first wheelchair user to blast into space

Groundbreaking Space Journey: Paraplegic Engineer Michaela Benthaus Makes History as First Wheelchair User in Space

A remarkable journey unfolded on Saturday as Michaela Benthaus, a paraplegic engineer…
State Attorney's Office to seek death penalty for suspect in deadly Putnam County stabbing

Putnam County Stabbing Case: State Attorney Pursues Death Penalty for Suspect

The harrowing nature of a recent crime in Putnam County, Florida, has…
Dr. Oz on Minnesota Taxpayer Fraud: 'You Have to Come Down Hard'

Dr. Oz Urges Strong Action Against Minnesota’s Taxpayer Fraud Issues

On the Alex Marlow Show, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator of the…
Former Hamas hostage warned Australian leaders about dangers of antisemitism months before Bondi Beach attack

Ex-Hamas Hostage’s Urgent Warning on Antisemitism Ignored: Insights Months Ahead of Bondi Beach Incident

A former hostage of Hamas, Eli Sharabi, recently shared his concerns with…
LA deputies caught on camera racing into foggy ocean to rescue disoriented paragliders

Los Angeles Deputies Heroically Dive into Foggy Waters to Rescue Stranded Paragliders

Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies heroically saved two paragliders from a…
Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente identified as Brown University and MIT shooting suspect, found dead

Brown and MIT Shootings Raise Concerns: Are Elite Universities Equipped to Handle Targeted Violence?

Two fatal shootings at prestigious U.S. universities, situated just 50 miles apart,…
'I wouldn't wish this on anyone': Family of nine loses everything in Arlington housefire

Heartbreaking Arlington Fire Leaves Family of Nine Without a Home

The family reports that a devastating fire claimed nearly three decades’ worth…
Blue Origin safely launches wheelchair user to space and back

Historic Blue Origin Mission: First Wheelchair User Successfully Travels to Space and Returns

In a remarkable achievement for space travel and inclusivity, Blue Origin, led…
Dave Chappelle surprises fans with Netflix special after Joshua-Paul fight

Dave Chappelle Drops Unexpected Netflix Special Following Joshua-Paul Fight

Dave Chappelle is once again ready to deliver laughs to his audience.…
US forces stop 2nd merchant vessel off coast of Venezuela, American officials say; President Trump ramps up pressure on Maduro

US Forces Intercept Second Merchant Vessel Near Venezuelan Coast, Officials Report; President Trump Intensifies Pressure on Maduro

In a significant development off the coast of Venezuela, U.S. forces intercepted…
Desperate search for two men as fishing boat found empty 70 miles off Florida coast

Urgent Search Underway: Two Fishermen Missing After Empty Boat Discovered 70 Miles Off Florida Coast

The search efforts are intensifying for two fishermen, Randall Spivey, 57, and…