Florida High School Suspends Mom of Trans Athlete
metroweekly.comfailed to register her transgender daughter as male when the now-16-year-old started high school.It started in November 2023, when Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr.
Peter Licata reassigned Monarch High School Principal James Cecil, Assistant Principal Kenneth May, athletic director, and coach Dione Hester, and Norton after receiving a complaint that a transgender athlete had competed on the girls’ volleyball team.The reassignments triggered student protests at Monarch High, including a student-led walkout.A month later, the Florida High School Athletic Association penalized Monarch for breaking the law, fining it $16,500 dollars, issuing a letter of reprimand that will remain “a permanent part of it membership record,” placing the school on probation for year, and suspending Norton’s daughter from participating in any sports for a year.The FHSAA also ordered Monarch to require its administrators, employees, and athletic staff to attend seminars and workshops on how to comply with Florida’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports” law.The investigation revealed that Norton’s daughter began taking puberty blockers at age 11 and has since begun receiving hormone therapy.The girl is small and slight, and often sat on the bench during her freshman and sophomore years, even as the girls’ volleyball team racked up a 13-7 record last season.
Three teammates told investigators they either knew or had suspected Norton’s daughter was transgender, but were unbothered by her presence on the team.
They also said that she had never showered with her other teammates or changed clothes in their presence.Eventually, the school district’s investigation cleared Cecil, May, Hester, and coach Alex Burgess of any wrongdoing, allowing them to return to campus.
